Yeehaw!

[PacoSwede]

...

But you have reminded me of a side of Ash's game I may have ignored before: she performs well under pressure. I think we have a few kids like this -- Paige, of course, Azzi, Caroline, Ash and Aubrey, to be sure. ...

i feel this is the #1 factor that differentiates players.

but it's rarely acknowledged. fans focus on various other talents and abilities, and tend to ignore the most important thing of all: the level at which a kid does what's needed when the pressure is greatest.

the 'talent' of being 'clutch' is weird. there's no formula to explain it. i don't know if anyone can explain where it comes from or how to attain it. does anyone know how to 'work on it' in practice or perfect their 'clutchness' technique? that even sounds absurd. i've never heard a coach give advice on how to thrive on pressure, or avoid wilting under it.

maybe a psychologist or a theologian could intervene. maybe they know the formula. but i've never heard of them making a difference. some folks perform exceedingly well when confronted with pressure, some crumble, while most folks simply carry on and hope and pray their normal contribution will suffice.

all would love to be the hero, but only a few seem to be able to consistently fill the role. very few.

to me, the huskies who clearly quality are paige, diana, maybe maya and sue. of course, even they at times fall short. i'd bet on them to come through in the end, though. OTOH, i wouldn't paint some of those you mentioned as clutch. it's a rare ability -- or rather magic -- that is too often overlooked in fandom.

 

[SVCBeercats]

When I initially saw her play, I thought "too short, too slow, not a consistent enough shooter, etc." Proven wrong on all counts. Seemingly always in the right spot, never slows down, stronger than she looks (and she looks strong). Not someone the opposition enjoys playing against. May not ever be an All American but should end up being an all-time performer and fan favorite.

Kelly Farris-like but with more offense and bit less defense.

 

[meyers7]

Kelly Farris-like but with more offense and bit less defense.

Probably that Indiana basketball thing.

 

[Bone Dog]

i feel this is the #1 factor that differentiates players.

but it's rarely acknowledged. fans focus on various other talents and abilities, and tend to ignore the most important thing of all: the level at which a kid does what's needed when the pressure is greatest.

the 'talent' of being 'clutch' is weird. there's no formula to explain it. i don't know if anyone can explain where it comes from or how to attain it. does anyone know how to 'work on it' in practice or perfect their 'clutchness' technique? that even sounds absurd. i've never heard a coach give advice on how to thrive on pressure, or avoid wilting under it.

maybe a psychologist or a theologian could intervene. maybe they know the formula. but i've never heard of them making a difference. some folks perform exceedingly well when confronted with pressure, some crumble, while most folks simply carry on and hope and pray their normal contribution will suffice.

all would love to be the hero, but only a few seem to be able to consistently fill the role. very few.

to me, the huskies who clearly quality are paige, diana, maybe maya and sue. of course, even they at times fall short. i'd bet on them to come through in the end, though. OTOH, i wouldn't paint some of those you mentioned as clutch. it's a rare ability -- or rather magic -- that is too often overlooked in fandom.

I think this is sort of like what Geno says about not teaching effort. It's a character trait kids have to have already. By the time he gets them, it's too late to teach this. Geno is very clear on recruiting precisely for traits like these. And he knows how to find them. Diana and Maya and Paige -- they were easy to recognize for this, plus they had talent coming out of their ears for all to see. But someone like Ash, it's a lot subtler and easily missed. She didn't dazzle in HS, but she carried her teams.

Ash also had a telling moment in the last Indiana state championship where she had a chance to seal the game with a score but found a more open teammate and passed it to them for the win -- it was exactly like what Paige did in the closing seconds of the Syracuse game, drawing the defenders and hitting KK for the open 3. Being clutch doesn't always mean taking the hero-shot. It can mean making the good decision in the right moment.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Don't expect Azzi to be "Azzi", at least not right away. It takes a while to come back from injury. Just getting her back on the court is a victory. Give her time, though, to get into her old form.

It will be interesting to see if Azzi's 3-point shooting in games returns to her freshman season level 43%. Without it I think Ashlynn may be the better all-around player particularly after starting for one season. UCONN career 3-point % - Azzi 38% Ashlynn 36% Both need to improve their 3-point shooting in games to help the team even more. Interestingly because of injuries Ashlynn has actually started more games than Azzi (32 vs 27).