Yanna putting in work | The Boneyard

Yanna putting in work

BBallF said:
Impressive. I don't remember her having or using any of those moves pre injuries.
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I believe this is from CTInsider, but I believe since she has been at UConn she has been dealing with physical issues.
- All freshman year, Ayanna dealt with the constant pain of patellar tendonitis, something she initially suffered in high school but hadn't figured out how to manage
 
Vowelguy said:
It befuddles me why people refer to her as Yanna, since there is another player on the roster with the same pronunciation.

but there is only one Ayanna
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Yanna and Jana are pronounced differently, so your befuddlement is wasted energy. Besides, everyone on the team calls her Yanna; just like Ducharme is called Carol. There are both vowels and consonants.
 
I watched a bunch of Ayanna’s high school games before she arrived at Storrs. You can probably still find them on YouTube. There’s even one in which she plays against Ashlynn’s team. The thing that struck me was that Ayanna was always the most athletic player on the floor in any game. There were taller kids, but none as strong or physical as she was. As a result, her offensive skills were not all that subtle, since she was used to being able to simply muscle past defenders.

When she got to Storrs, it was quite clear that she was a bit intimated trying to score against D1 opponents. She lost a lot of opportunities from making too many shot fakes. Later in the season, she seemed to have gotten over this, but by then her injury status inhibited further development. But her defense was staunch from the very beginning.

If she’s ready to go this fall, I’d expect her to pick up where she left off on the defensive end. But there will probably be a learning curve on offense.
 
I don't know if Ayanna will still be able to dunk the way she did pre-injury...but she was a legitimate dunker. In watching that workout tape...I see a difference in her approach to putting in the work. We will see an Ayanna who can get to the basket and make her shots. Her athleticism will earn her minutes. However, being able to play in the system that Geno has may take some time. Passing the ball, setting screens, and getting to the open spot have always been the hardest things for bigs to learn. With the plethora of 6'2" wing players we have, there is going to be a lot of competition for minutes. Sarah Strong - 6'2"; Ayanna Patterson - 6'2"; Caroline Ducharme - 6'2"; Morgan Cheli - 6'2"; Blanca Quinonez - 6'2"...throw in Ice Brady - 6'3"...wow! wow! wow!

I am trying to get my head around how this team doesn't average over 90 points next year. I understand that once this team gets way out front, Geno likes to take his foot off the gas, work on the half-court offense, and substitute freely to give everyone playing time. But what do you do with a team that brings in quality players 12 to 15 deep? There will be very little let-up in offensive power, pretty much up and down the entire lineup.

Serah Williams...She will pick up right where she left off in the Big 10...19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds per game. I think her average may be down a couple of points because of all the other players on the team who will be making shots. Her rebounds may be down somewhat because UConn will probably shoot better than 50 percent from the floor next year. But, it would be reasonable to think that Serah will hit 16 pts. and 8 rebounds per game

Sarah Strong...She will be 1st team All-American next season. No doubt in my mind she will be an automatic double-double every game and will flirt with triple-doubles all year. I see Sarah going for 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. She might manage to get a triple-double in points, rebounds, and steals. She will be able to gamble into the passing lanes because she knows she will be playing with a legitimate center, and she will be confident that Serah will be holding down the paint.

Azzi Fudd...We all know what she is capable of doing...she is the best three-point shooter in the country unless Allie Ziebell doesn't step up and challenges her for that title. Azzi is much more than a three-point shooter. She can and will take it to the hole, and she will score. She also has an incredible pull-up jumper. She will have plenty of bigs setting screens for her... She will average 20-plus points per game.

The three will comprise UConn's 3-headed monster that other teams will not only dread having to play against but they will exhaust their player resources trying to stop them

Blanca Quinonez - I believe that Blanca will be a starter by January. She will bring a professional body to the college game. She has already played against professionals. Her game will be physical as she has size and strength. I don't think Geno is going to be able to keep her off the floor. I'm going to guess that in the UConn offense, which will be spurred on by its incredible defense that Blanca will average 10 points per game.

KK Arnold - will be the engine that makes UConn go next year. She will probably score somewhere between 5 and 9 points per game. But her contribution will be on the defensive side, her ability to bring the ball up with speed, and she will be the floor general distributing the ball to capable scorers everywhere on the floor.

Assuming these are the starters, they will account for about 65 points per game.

Geno's biggest challenge next season will be finding minutes for all his talented players on his team. Coming off the bench will be Jana El-Alfy, Ice Brady, Ayanna Patterson, Gandy Malou-Mamel, Caroline Ducharme, Ashlynn Shade, Morgan Cheli, Allie Ziebell, Kayleigh Heckel, and Kelis Fisher. I don't see how these players don't combine for 25 points per game. If the non-starters can average 25 points per game, then UConn will average 90-plus points per game. I don't remember a team that has done that. In UConn's world, it is getting harder and harder to break some of the incredible records currently on the books, but this may be one that they break.

UConn will truly be an offensive juggernaut next season...and their defense will be equally formidable. No one is going to want to play the Huskies next season. I like our chances for number 13
 
I want to say Ayanna has 3 years of eligibility left. Will someone confirm this? Those color coded spread sheets with multiple notes just make my eyes glaze over (or it could my first pair of trifocals that make me hold on to the stairway handrails for dear life).
 
I know that SC is really excited about having Watkins back healthy next season. In my view, a healthy Yanna is every bit the equal of Watkins in terms of strength, athleticism and style of play…..just one more incredible tool in Geno’s toolbox.
 
Forego said:
I want to say Ayanna has 3 years of eligibility left. Will someone confirm this? Those color coded spread sheets with multiple notes just make my eyes glaze over (or it could my first pair of trifocals that make me hold on to the stairway handrails for dear life).
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She has two left - upcoming 25/26 and then a redshirt 26/27. Technically, she could petition the NCAA for a waiver for another redshirt year in 27/28.
 
OK...no defense...but I'll tell you...she did NOT move like that when there was one....lookin'
good! Those mid-range pull-ups going in? I dare say that...except for foul shots...she never
took even one from that distance when she played. Toss in some very sweet ball-handling as well.
I'm very encouraged that she may well be part of the regular rotation. No guarantees but if she can
be aggressive on the court...offense and defense...she will catch Geno's eye.

Just LOVE that video!
 
cferraro04 said:
then UConn will average 90-plus points per game.
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I don’t see 90 points a game happening for UConn. They could do it perhaps if that was the goal but it is not. UConn runs offensive sets. I also don’t see opponents wanting to quicken the pace with the Huskies or believe that putting up shots early in the shot clock would be a good strategy. And think about past dominant years. UConn would have double the points of others for thirty minutes in many games but then scoring slowed down as they’d coast to victory and they’d “only” win by 35 and that’d be less than a double up most times. The end of a blowout scoring dropped in general.

I’ll expect the Huskies to crush most teams, especially in conference, but a 90+ pt average will be hard to come by for a full season. An undefeated championship season is more likely to me and of course preferable. Not that that the above is either or.
 
Like a lot of us here, I envision a UConn squad just going out there dominating and destroying teams. With a healthy roster, there is no reason why we shouldn't. With Ayanna, like @Bone Dog mentioned, I watched a lot of Ayanna's high school games (highlights and games) and she was very athletic and very dominate. Hopefully that fire she has, is still there. The video was very impressive. It should that she wants it. The fact that she hasn't transferred means she still loves UConn. Ayanna is going to be the "X" factor for the level of competition in practice. You factor in so many years watching practice. She has to be ready to cause chaos out there. Like I always say, we shall see what develops. I just keep hoping that Ayanna is our Raven (Teen Titans) ready to just unleash all of her power. All of her talent out there. Most of us have seen what she can do at the high school level and a few games at the college level. Now, just go all out!!
 
cwh20 said:
I don’t see 90 points a game happening for UConn. They could do it perhaps if that was the goal but it is not. UConn runs offensive sets. I also don’t see opponents wanting to quicken the pace with the Huskies or believe that putting up shots early in the shot clock would be a good strategy. And think about past dominant years. UConn would have double the points of others for thirty minutes in many games but then scoring slowed down as they’d coast to victory and they’d “only” win by 35 and that’d be less than a double up most times. The end of a blowout scoring dropped in general.

I’ll expect the Huskies to crush most teams, especially in conference, but a 90+ pt average will be hard to come by for a full season. An undefeated championship season is more likely to me and of course preferable. Not that that the above is either or.
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I think the highest season average for ppg was 88.1 during the 2015-16 undefeated season when UConn beat every opponent by double digits. This past season UConn averaged 81.7 ppg which placed them 9th overall.

For UConn, defense is the key to scoring a lot of points. If the Huskies can speed up their opponents, force turnovers and score in transition, they can score a lot of points. But I do agree that 90 ppg is probably a bridge too far.
 
I like to see her working on ball handling, but the midrange jump shot is more important, I think. She won't be a ball handler for Geno this season, but that midrange shot will get her minutes, that and her stifling defense.
 
oldude said:
I know that SC is really excited about having Watkins back healthy next season. In my view, a healthy Yanna is every bit the equal of Watkins in terms of strength, athleticism and style of play…..just one more incredible tool in Geno’s toolbox.
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watkins is much bigger in both height and body type and place as a center

She is a proven player
before the injury was seen as a first round WNBA player.
Don’t see the comparison at all
Ayanna will be successful if she can play away from the basket, both offensively and defensively
 
Ayanna, like Carol, have been sitting on the bench watching one of the greatest players in WCBB for the last 2 years. That, plus, their competitive instincts, and talents must have them itching to "get back at it". If they are both healed and healthy, added to the stacked roster already in place, the upcoming season will prove "bad for women's basketball".
 
Zonepress said:
watkins is much bigger in both height and body type and place as a center

She is a proven player
before the injury was seen as a first round WNBA player.
Don’t see the comparison at all
Ayanna will be successful if she can play away from the basket, both offensively and defensively
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I haven't really seen any clear evidence that Watkins is much bigger than Ayanna, though she is regularly listed as being 1 inch taller. In that freshman year, when Ayanna arrived at Storrs already a bit of a body builder, she looked bigger than she does now, so perhaps it will turn out to be visually obvious when we play SC this season. At least, she looks more slender in these videos than I remember from three seasons ago when she outmuscled Monika Czinano in the Iowa game. Maybe a way to think about is to compare both Ayanna and Watkins to Aaliyah, who I think is bigger than the two of them. Ayanna as a freshman seemed to be as strong as Aaliyah, who is very strong.

But all that being said, I agree with your overall assessment. I suspect Watkins will come back already more developed in her skills than Ayanna. And just for context, Saniya Feagin had better offensive skills and comparable defensive skills to Watkins and went in the 2nd round of the draft, which is where I'd expect Watkins to go, if she returns to form. Ayanna still has a ways to go to make it to the draft -- returning to her freshman year form isn't likely to be enough. And that is entirely up to her and whatever competitive fire she brings this season. I'm optimistic.

And just to finish an earlier thought, Aaliyah went in the first round of the draft because she was much more skillful on both ends of the floor than Feagin or Watkins and certainly more so than Ayanna three season ago.
 
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