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Your second (excellent) paragraph reflects on the core issue for this 2022-2023 team.  I tend to subscribe to the theory that defense wins championships and our 2020-2021 championship team led by Kiana and Anna played and defended at the tip of the spear- the perimeter. They were disrupters. I agree that we have the potential to be a superb offensive team, but I'm not sure trying just to outscore the opponent takes us all the way.

There is the potential for us to become defensively sound should Jzaniya, Indya and/or Talana (who all seem to have quickness), become good defenders and play quality minutes.  And then there is Emma, our best perimeter and wing defender.  If her skills on offense have improved (even moderately), then Tara has the luxury of giving her significant minutes and Emma may become part of that defensive spear especially in crunch time.  We all recall when Tara put Emma in, not just during garbage time, but in situations where we needed an athletic 'stopper' against the opponents' top guards and she held her own.

What a fascinating season we may have here.

Just to nitpick, she's Agnes Emma-Nnopu, so calling her "Emma" is a bit odd.

Just saw this.  Thank you for pointing out my error.  My apologies.  But no comment about my post?

One thing for sure: we are going to get pressed forever and a day, until our PG play (whether Haley or someone else) proves it can handle it. Then we can start the conversation on offense.





Any coach watching film of Haley’s relatively high dribble is going to try to disrupt that. Here’s hoping for a Nicole Powell flashback.

Hoping that one of the freshmen or Harriel (though I think of her more as a #2 guard) can become that PG to effectively handle what will be continued pressing, but until then I'd like to see help for Haley and have a passing outlet for her near mid-court (Brink) who can handle the ball well and get it back to Haley with hopefully plenty of time to set up the offense.  Watching the team last season scrambling at times to move the ball over mid-court and valuable time lost I'm sure made all of us anxious, but I'm confident Tara and staff already have a Plan A, a Plan B, and maybe more to minimize the problem.

hope so since this has been a problem for us for a number of years. And while Haley can 'set up' the offense once we're past mid-court, I have little confidence in her ability to handle well enough to get it across midcourt when pressed. Hoping to be surprised!

[dcnav]

Your second (excellent) paragraph reflects on the core issue for this 2022-2023 team.  I tend to subscribe to the theory that defense wins championships and our 2020-2021 championship team led by Kiana and Anna played and defended at the tip of the spear- the perimeter. They were disrupters. I agree that we have the potential to be a superb offensive team, but I'm not sure trying just to outscore the opponent takes us all the way.

There is the potential for us to become defensively sound should Jzaniya, Indya and/or Talana (who all seem to have quickness), become good defenders and play quality minutes.  And then there is Emma, our best perimeter and wing defender.  If her skills on offense have improved (even moderately), then Tara has the luxury of giving her significant minutes and Emma may become part of that defensive spear especially in crunch time.  We all recall when Tara put Emma in, not just during garbage time, but in situations where we needed an athletic 'stopper' against the opponents' top guards and she held her own.

What a fascinating season we may have here.

Just to nitpick, she's Agnes Emma-Nnopu, so calling her "Emma" is a bit odd.

Just saw this.  Thank you for pointing out my error.  My apologies.  But no comment about my post?

One thing for sure: we are going to get pressed forever and a day, until our PG play (whether Haley or someone else) proves it can handle it. Then we can start the conversation on offense.





Any coach watching film of Haley’s relatively high dribble is going to try to disrupt that. Here’s hoping for a Nicole Powell flashback.

Hoping that one of the freshmen or Harriel (though I think of her more as a #2 guard) can become that PG to effectively handle what will be continued pressing, but until then I'd like to see help for Haley and have a passing outlet for her near mid-court (Brink) who can handle the ball well and get it back to Haley with hopefully plenty of time to set up the offense.  Watching the team last season scrambling at times to move the ball over mid-court and valuable time lost I'm sure made all of us anxious, but I'm confident Tara and staff already have a Plan A, a Plan B, and maybe more to minimize the problem.

hope so since this has been a problem for us for a number of years. And while Haley can 'set up' the offense once we're past mid-court, I have little confidence in her ability to handle well enough to get it across midcourt when pressed. Hoping to be surprised!