Why aren't we a better team this year?

[Oldbones]

There are no great teams, this year. A half-dozen or so teams have a legitimate shot to win the national championship. UConn is one of them. Chill.

Or perhaps, with the greater pool of talent coming up from prep schools, there are a half dozen great teams, including UCONN, and no vastly superior team (relative to everyone else) that beats all of its opponents by double digits plus, and the healthiest, best prepared, luckiest etc. team will prevail...……….

 

[Hope]

I've noticed that when the Glamour Twins are seated on the bench, they sit together and only converse with each other and seem to ignore CW, CD, Olivia, and everyone else. This bothers me.

 

[Orangutan]

Collier scored 23-24 on Shepard in the FF, she was the one player on our team that wasn't outplayed. Shepard had a good game but let's not get carried away.

I think you misread my post that you quoted. I was saying that Collier played much better than Shepard in the meeting at ND earlier this season.

 

[bbballfan23]

My mistake @Orangutan

 

[Oldbones]

I've noticed that when the Glamour Twins are seated on the bench, they sit together and only converse with each other and seem to ignore CW, CD, Olivia, and everyone else. This bothers me.

 

[mbr33ct]

My 2 cents worth. To answer the OP, I'm sure others have also said the same, two words, Gabby and Kia.

 

[Topdawg]

This is dead on. We are not forcing turnovers which lead to easy fast break points. Looking Kia and Gabby and adding a novice in CW is really evident. Now thats not CW fault, she will learn and become a great husky.

The other thing that single handedly has killed us is AS bolting for the pro's. I think AS leaving will directly cause us not to win the NC this year.

I think when you combine the two points I mentioned above its causing us not to be the uconn team we want it to be....

Team has been inconsistent. Inconsistency works both ways - there are days when the team will play really well. and there are days when they will not. So I am not counting them out as you are. They could have a few more bumps down the road and still emerge victorious at the end of the season. If they do, it would not be as improbable as some of the championships won by the UCONN men.

 

[Florida Fan]

Totally agree with you about Gabby ! So many highlight plays in her wonderful UConn career.

Her highlight film is endless and beautiful. We won't see her like again.

 

[CocoHusky]

I've noticed that when the Glamour Twins are seated on the bench, they sit together and only converse with each other and seem to ignore CW, CD, Olivia, and everyone else. This bothers me.

I hear you I hate when Molly and Kyla do that. Seems like they are not invested in the success of their teammates. It's so absurd.

 

[Jim R]

She left to pursue her career, which due to physical stress, possible injury and age catching up, is by definition short. She had done all she needed to do to prove herself a top talent. Spending an extra year in college to help her college team, while forgoing a six-figure income- beginning in the summer in the WNBA and continuing with the big bucks overseas- would have been nice, but unfair to her future.

At the end of the day, these top athletes need to make money while they can, and while hoping that they avoid career-ending injury. It would have been great to have her this year, but she has to look out for #1.

I understand.

Don't necessarily disagree with your points; 1) possible injury, 2) six-figure income, etc. Yes, those are fair assumptions, and, perhaps you're privy to her reasons for departure. I wasn't. Mine is purely speculation, nothing more. But, as others have argued, there's a good bet her value would have risen with another year - and starting. With Geno's tutelage (not to mention the rest of the staff), her skill set would've not only improved, but gotten much more visibility, and, perhaps, the adulation and exposure a run to the WCBB championship provides. But, alas, we'll never know the "what if". With that in mind, here's hoping our new "big" provides all we're hoping for as the season rolls on.

 

[BobbyJ]

I hear you I hate when Molly and Kyla do that. Seems like they are not invested in the success of their teammates. It's so absurd.
View attachment 38612

The dissension is ripping the team apart. I can’t believe the coaches are allowing this to go on.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Don't necessarily disagree with your points; 1) possible injury, 2) six-figure income, etc. Yes, those are fair assumptions, and, perhaps you're privy to her reasons for departure. I wasn't. Mine is purely speculation, nothing more. But, as others have argued, there's a good bet her value would have risen with another year - and starting. With Geno's tutelage (not to mention the rest of the staff), her skill set would've not only improved, but gotten much more visibility, and, perhaps, the adulation and exposure a run to the WCBB championship provides. But, alas, we'll never know the "what if". With that in mind, here's hoping our new "big" provides all we're hoping for as the season rolls on.

The thing is, would she have improved to the extent that she should miss a year of earnings overseas? Would her improved skills have earned her more from a career point of view than she would if she gave up that additional year without pay to get six figures for the twelve month period? What if she had injured her knee during that add-on year at UConn? Let's keep in mind how many college football players sat out their teams' bowl game lest they incur a bad injury right before they entered the pros.

Z only has about eight years to a pro career. Taking off one year means giving up 12% of her career earnings, while putting at risk all her earnings to injury. I think she took the cash. Simple.

 

[Carnac]

We are counting on underclassmen to pick up where our upperclassmen and graduates left off. Our underclassmen are inexperienced. In the past UConn has always had a nucleus of upperclassman with the top HS players coming off the bench and working into the rotation. This year they dont. This year MW CW ONO Molly Kyla and Coombs dont have the experience. We caught a break with height when Butler and Z came to UConn. We caught a bad break when Z turned pro last season. We would be a great team with Z this season. With our lack of experience we are relying on Lou and Collier and CD and opponents know that so they leave the others almost unguarded and they havent shot the ball well. Lou Phessa and CD our blanketed and imo rushing and forcing shots because everybody else has not been consistency shooting and scoring like we know they can. Consistency is lacking because of lack of experience.

Now we saw MW put on a show last week and Collier and CD light it up yesterday. We saw CW light up ND. We also saw ONO come in and not get in foul trouble. Molly and Kyla have looked good. Proof we are improving and getting better but understand it takes time. When we are hitting on all cylinders and when opponents are forced to guard all 5 starters we will see a much better UConn team. We have the talent, we have the coaching now its just a matter of time. Be patient it will happen. Louisville will be a really good test to show us where we are.

Great post!!

I'm Interested to know how our BY brethren feel about UConn's chances of defeating @ #4 Louisville and #19 South Carolina at the XL Center. These teams complete UConn's OOC schedule this season, and they are the last ranked teams remaining on the schedule.