[2006alum]

I am also highly encouraged.  If nothing else, it is much more fun to watch a more offensive team like the one we seem to have this year.  Having depth means that not absolutely everything depends upon 2-3 key players staying hot, healthy, and out of foul trouble.  There is a much bigger margin for error, as we saw last night that with Lexie going out and 3 players sitting on the bench with 2 fouls in the first half we managed to stay ahead.  There have been years past in which we would not have been so resilient.

Absolutely. The difference between what happened when we had to sit McPhee last year versus Lexie last night is tremendous. Of course, we'll see once we take on the Baylors and Tennessees, but as you say, so many more options and offensive choices this year. I'm starting to feel more excitement rather than anxiousness when anticipating matchups like those against the Bears and Lady Vols. It's been a few years since I've gone in expecting we could actually win.

I also agree that our defense absolutely must improve or else we will be at risk against certain kinds of teams with a couple of speedy take-it-to-the-basket guards.  I think that might be why Tara is giving us some practice with a zone.  The normal way we would defend those types of guards in our sagging man is to have one guard not sagging and to have someone else help by cutting off the lane.  Last night it sounds as if we didn't get help soon enough.  When help comes late it results in fouls.  (I don't think that was the main issue with Alanna since I think at least of couple of her fouls were on offense.) 

Yeah - that's where losing McPhee and Sniezek has hurt us the most. Those two plus Carrington were the three Tara would usually use to take away an opposing guard. I think Williams plays decent D but my sense is that now that she's running the point and also our leading scorer, her mentality hasn't been quite as focused on D - believe it or not, she's actually 7th in steals on our team right now, with Lexie first (8) and Wilson and Smith (5 each) tied for second (which may in part explain Smith's high foul rate). I have only been able to watch part of one our games so it's hard to tell whether the stats bear this out, but if Wilson is becoming a strong defensive presence, that would also be a big help, at least while Sniezek is out.

[2006alum]

I am also highly encouraged.  If nothing else, it is much more fun to watch a more offensive team like the one we seem to have this year.  Having depth means that not absolutely everything depends upon 2-3 key players staying hot, healthy, and out of foul trouble.  There is a much bigger margin for error, as we saw last night that with Lexie going out and 3 players sitting on the bench with 2 fouls in the first half we managed to stay ahead.  There have been years past in which we would not have been so resilient.

Absolutely. The difference between what happened when we had to sit McPhee last year versus Lexie last night is tremendous. Of course, we'll see once we take on the Baylors and Tennessees, but as you say, so many more options and offensive choices this year. I'm starting to feel more excitement rather than anxiousness when anticipating matchups like those against the Bears and Lady Vols. It's been a few years since I've gone in expecting we could actually win.

I also agree that our defense absolutely must improve or else we will be at risk against certain kinds of teams with a couple of speedy take-it-to-the-basket guards.  I think that might be why Tara is giving us some practice with a zone.  The normal way we would defend those types of guards in our sagging man is to have one guard not sagging and to have someone else help by cutting off the lane.  Last night it sounds as if we didn't get help soon enough.  When help comes late it results in fouls.  (I don't think that was the main issue with Alanna since I think at least of couple of her fouls were on offense.) 

Yeah - that's where losing McPhee and Sniezek has hurt us the most. Those two plus Carrington were the three Tara would usually use to take away an opposing guard. I think Williams plays decent D but my sense is that now that she's running the point and also our leading scorer, her mentality hasn't been quite as focused on D - believe it or not, she's actually 7th in steals on our team right now, with Lexie first (8) and Wilson and Smith (5 each) tied for second (which may in part explain Smith's high foul rate). I have only been able to watch part of one our games so it's hard to tell whether the stats bear this out, but if Wilson is becoming a strong defensive presence, that would also be a big help, at least while Sniezek is out.