Doggydaddy's Den: Doggy's Doghouse 3/5/18

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The game was the game. Close for a minute. 18-0 run to end the first quarter. Dominant defense led to a 52-22 lead at the half. You could have or should have shut off the game at that point. The second half was not a good one for UConn.

Two starters got injured and left the game not to return. Gabby looked to strain her hip again and seemed to be in pain as she left the game and went to the locker room. She returned to sit on the bench but either her eyes were running from a cold or she was crying about her situation. I'm surem many UConn fans figured she was done. Certainly based on all the comments on the message boards.

Crystal turned her left ankle in a scrum for the ball. She hopped off the court and also never returned to the game.

Ok, fans....take a deep breath. All is good. In the post game interview, Geno said that Gabby did reinjure her hip but COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GAME. Crystal said that her ankle was fine and she is ready to go.

Now, maybe with a game on Monday against Cincinnati who beat Tulsa 66-65. Cinci is a team that UConn has beaten by a big margin this season so maybe Geno will hold one or both out as a precaution. But either way, we can all take a sigh of relief.....whew. I hate these games.....I had a bad feeling. Thankfully, nothing serious.

Let's just get to the NCAA quarter final game in one piece. Please????

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By David in Naples!!!!!

The debate rages over who is the best player in WCBB this year. Two of the leading candidates are A'ja Wilson from South Carolina and Katie Lou Samuelson from UConn. If the measure is points scored, Wilson wins over KLS hands down 640 to 439. If the per game average is the yardstick, Wilson wins again 22.9 to 18.3. In the SEC semi-final last night, Wilson scored 21 points on 8-13 shooting to lead SC to victory over Georgia, 71-49. She added 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double. No doubt, she is a great player.

But there are other stats that show the limitations of Wilson's game. For example, A'ja has made only 5 three-point baskets all season. She also only has 48 assists compared to 63 turnovers. Last night, against Georgia, Wilson had 0 assists and 4 turnovers. She did not try a 3 point shot. The good news for SC is they won easily and didn't need Wilson to share the ball or hit the outside shot. But, what if they did...

Here are some less often discussed, but equally important stats where Katie Lou clearly exceeds A'ja:

1. Made 3 point baskets
    Katie Lou = 72
    A'ja = 5

2. Assists     Katie Lou = 92
    A'ja   = 48

3. Turnovers    Katie Lou = 33
    A'ja   = 63

4. Shots taken    Katie Lou = 283
    A'ja = 432

Katie Lou has a more complete offensive game. She has scored 216 points from outside the 3 pt arc and 223 from inside. Very balanced. She is a better free throw shooter, 81.9& vs 71.4% for Wilson. She passes to teammates more and turns the ball over less. Even inside the arc, KLS is a better shooter. She makes 60.3% of her shots vs Wilson's 55.9%. When UConn played South Carolina this season, KLS went 8-18 shooting with 20 points. Wilson was 4-18 with 14 points. Wilson had 0 assists and 4 turnovers and missed her only 3 point try. Katie Lou went 3-7 from 3 range and 3 assists and 1 turnover.