Fuller: Former UConn standout Kiah Stokes ready to showcase offense with Liberty

[bschwartz]

LINK

Unintended benefit of Kiah being in NYC is that it is easier for the horde to keep covering her.

 

[mrmojack]

With Tina's guidance, we may see a steady improvement throughout the season.
That would be great. The Liberty coaching staff seem to be really excited about
Kiah's progress and future with the team. It looks like we may see a new Kiah
that we did not see at Uconn. Good for her.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

"Of course Coach (Geno) Auriemma would have loved me to be more offensive minded so I kind of got my role where I didn’t have to, ‘let’s make sure I block shots and rebounds’ and that was kind of my mindset.” Maybe the undercurrent of Geno stifling her offensive game can be buried now?

 

[EricLA]

"Of course Coach (Geno) Auriemma would have loved me to be more offensive minded so I kind of got my role where I didn’t have to, ‘let’s make sure I block shots and rebounds’ and that was kind of my mindset.” Maybe the undercurrent of Geno stifling her offensive game can be buried now?

I don't think anyone has said that Geno stifled her offense. But the fair question remains (IMHO). If the Liberty can work in literally 1 month during the spring to get her to be more offensive-minded, why was the UCONN staff unable to do so for 4 years?

UCONN teams are filled with players being TOLD what to do by the coaches. That's part of "coaching them up" and getting them to improve and become better basketball players. If playing great defensen was "kind of her mindset", it was up to the coaches to change that mindset, and they did not. We as UCONN fans always talk about players coming to UCONN to be developed "better" than any other program. If that's the case, then what happened with Kiah? Obviously her defensive prowess was developed. But her offense was not...

One last thing - people have said that with scorers like Tuck, Stewie, KML, Moriah, and Nurse, Stokes was not NEEDED to provide offensive. Well go back to Moriah as a freshman. Defenses would sag off her because she could not hit a 3 point shot. And her offense was much "less". In order for her to be come a premier PG, she NEEDED to up her game and her offense. The coaches were able to get Mo to do just that. With Kiah, they did not...

 

[meyers7]

I don't think anyone has said that Geno stifled her offense. But the fair question remains (IMHO). If the Liberty can work in literally 1 month during the spring to get her to be more offensive-minded, why was the UCONN staff unable to do so for 4 years?

Well one benefit the WNBA coaches have is, if she doesn't, she doesn't have a job. Not quite the same at UCONN, she just doesn't play as much, but still gets to pursue her academics. Different when you're livelihood is on the line.

But this has only been a couple pre-season games. We'll see how well it carries over to the real season. (hopefully it does)

 

[EricLA]

Well one benefit the WNBA coaches have is, if she doesn't, she doesn't have a job. Not quite the same at UCONN, she just doesn't play as much, but still gets to pursue her academics. Different when you're livelihood is on the line.

But this has only been a couple pre-season games. We'll see how well it carries over to the real season. (hopefully it does)

Excellent point. I was legitimately curious - not necessarily criticizing the staff, but curious none the less...

 

[BobbyJ]

Excellent point. I was legitimately curious - not necessarily criticizing the staff, but curious none the less...

I picked up a couple of interesting quotes there as well. "He said it to my face which is something I haven't necessarily heard that many times at UConn" and " He has a lot of confidence in me which is great." Wouldn't this mean that Auriemma would allude to the media that he wanted her to be more offensive minded and that she was hesitant but he and the other coaches weren't telling her this? Why would they wait 4 years for her to do that on her own?

 

[HGN]

Well one benefit the WNBA coaches have is, if she doesn't, she doesn't have a job. Not quite the same at UCONN, she just doesn't play as much, but still gets to pursue her academics. Different when you're livelihood is on the line.

But this has only been a couple pre-season games. We'll see how well it carries over to the real season. (hopefully it does)

Meyers, you hit the nail on the head....Blindfolded. All Geno could do was threaten Kiah with no PT. That didn't bother Kiah because she was so focused that no PT was no problem for her. The Husky Machine kept right on rolling up victories. What was a coach to do , kick her off the team because she was an excellent defensive specialist ? I don't think so. Coach got out of her what he could to benefit the team. And it did.... Now comes the NYL . Now they can threaten with No Offense , NO PT ; NO contract ; NO career in the WNBA. A much BIGGER stick.

 

[trb123]

I picked up a couple of interesting quotes there as well. "He said it to my face which is something I haven't necessarily heard that many times at UConn" and " He has a lot of confidence in me which is great." Wouldn't this mean that Auriemma would allude to the media that he wanted her to be more offensive minded and that she was hesitant but he and the other coaches weren't telling her this? Why would they wait 4 years for her to do that on her own?

I had a similar problem when KLM was interviewed after the draft. She said that she would like to learn defense - or something to that effect. What was she doing at UCONN?
Can someone here please tell me if my concerns are OK? I may not have heard her correctly.

 

[DavidinNaples]

Since March 23, 2013 UConn has a 84-1 record...
18-0 in the NCAA tournament...
3 straight National Championships.....
average margin of victory in the NCAAs of 31.2 points per game....
If only Geno could have coached more points from Kiah....

 

[meyers7]

I picked up a couple of interesting quotes there as well. "He said it to my face which is something I haven't necessarily heard that many times at UConn" and " He has a lot of confidence in me which is great." Wouldn't this mean that Auriemma would allude to the media that he wanted her to be more offensive minded and that she was hesitant but he and the other coaches weren't telling her this? Why would they wait 4 years for her to do that on her own?

A line I picked up on was "We are forcing the situation on her because she is one of our better shooters.."

That wasn't the case on UCONN. KML, Jefferson, Stewart, Nurse, Tuck were all better shooters. If they want her to be the 3rd or so (Charles and Prince 1-2?) option on the Liberty, that's great. But she wasn't and shouldn't have been the 3rd or so option on UCONN.

We can look at the upside of this. UCONN's 6th man can make an immediate impact on a WNBA team. That shows how well UCONN prepares it's players for the next level.

Again as many of us have said throughout her career, the only thing stopping Stokes was Stokes. If she's gonna get out of her on way, the sky's the limit.

 

[j66kicker]

View attachment 9643

Since March 23, 2013 UConn has a 84-1 record...
18-0 in the NCAA tournament...
3 straight National Championships.....
average margin of victory in the NCAAs of 31.2 points per game....
If only Geno could have coached more points from Kiah....

Yes, and if he could have taught any defense at all to KML they might have REALLY been good! (Feel so sorry for those regular coaches like Brenda Freese who actually have to coach.)

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I don't think anyone has said that Geno stifled her offense. But the fair question remains (IMHO). If the Liberty can work in literally 1 month during the spring to get her to be more offensive-minded, why was the UCONN staff unable to do so for 4 years?

UCONN teams are filled with players being TOLD what to do by the coaches. That's part of "coaching them up" and getting them to improve and become better basketball players. If playing great defensen was "kind of her mindset", it was up to the coaches to change that mindset, and they did not. We as UCONN fans always talk about players coming to UCONN to be developed "better" than any other program. If that's the case, then what happened with Kiah? Obviously her defensive prowess was developed. But her offense was not...

One last thing - people have said that with scorers like Tuck, Stewie, KML, Moriah, and Nurse, Stokes was not NEEDED to provide offensive. Well go back to Moriah as a freshman. Defenses would sag off her because she could not hit a 3 point shot. And her offense was much "less". In order for her to be come a premier PG, she NEEDED to up her game and her offense. The coaches were able to get Mo to do just that. With Kiah, they did not...

Oh yeah, Oh yeah Eric....well, well ... your feet stink - so there! I suspect we will be debating this one for years. Geno (and 3 other coaches) could not unlock Charde Houston's lock and we can add Kiah to the list. I hope her offense comes out royally in the WNBA because everything she does has an elegance and poise to it - her stroke is fine and then some. Go Kiah - become a great conundrum.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Yes, and if he could have taught any defense at all to KML they might have REALLY been good! (Feel so sorry for those regular coaches like Brenda Freese who actually have to coach.)

You are of course remembering her great sour grapes presser ... yeah, we Husky crazies never forget!

 

[EricLA]

Oh yeah, Oh yeah Eric....well, well ... your feet stink - so there! I suspect we will be debating this one for years. Geno (and 3 other coaches) could not unlock Charde Houston's lock and we can add Kiah to the list. I hope her offense comes out royally in the WNBA because everything she does has an elegance and poise to it - her stroke is fine and then some. Go Kiah - become a great conundrum.

LOL good one! Seriously, though, and you make a great point on Charde but...

Charde never learned anything new in the WNBA, not really. Her problem at UCONN was an inability to master the concept of true team play, and while she excelled at 1 on 1 moves, her defense was lacking, and it never got much better in the pros. Don't get me wrong - I loved Charde, and not just because she was from San Diego, but my point is - name an aspect of her game that REALLY improved once she graduated. I'm betting she probably got stronger and maybe in better shape, but it's not like she suddenly sprouted new skills.

My point in Kiah was that the coaches could not unlock her offense for 4 years, but Lambier seems like he can in 1 month? Or at least set her on a path to do so?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

LOL good one! Seriously, though, and you make a great point on Charde but...

Charde never learned anything new in the WNBA, not really. Her problem at UCONN was an inability to master the concept of true team play, and while she excelled at 1 on 1 moves, her defense was lacking, and it never got much better in the pros. Don't get me wrong - I loved Charde, and not just because she was from San Diego, but my point is - name an aspect of her game that REALLY improved once she graduated. I'm betting she probably got stronger and maybe in better shape, but it's not like she suddenly sprouted new skills.

My point in Kiah was that the coaches could not unlock her offense for 4 years, but Lambier seems like he can in 1 month? Or at least set her on a path to do so?

I am pulling for Kiah to blossom as an offensive center, but if she does it will be because she has decided to do it and not because Lambier has anything to offer that the UConn coaching staff lacked.

 

[Huskies Rule]

A line I picked up on was "We are forcing the situation on her because she is one of our better shooters.."

That wasn't the case on UCONN. KML, Jefferson, Stewart, Nurse, Tuck were all better shooters. If they want her to be the 3rd or so (Charles and Prince 1-2?) option on the Liberty, that's great. But she wasn't and shouldn't have been the 3rd or so option on UCONN.

We can look at the upside of this. UCONN's 6th man can make an immediate impact on a WNBA team. That shows how well UCONN prepares it's players for the next level.

Again as many of us have said throughout her career, the only thing stopping Stokes was Stokes. If she's gonna get out of her on way, the sky's the limit.

Be careful using that avatar, Meyers. FIFA and Sepp Blatter's flunkies will demand 150K in a numbered Swiss account when they get wind you're using it.

 

[Huskies Rule]

My thoughts after 4 years of Kiah's MIA offense, supported by little more than the casual observations of a huge fan: Yes, UConn and Geno would have loved more offensive productivity from Kiah and certainly must have prodded her for that, but for her entire career Kiah saw she was surrounded by incredibly talented offensive players. No more Linn-Marr HS Iowa where her size and strength got her 25 points per game (and 15 rebounds, 5 blocks pg). Her UConn teammates and many of her opponents had incredible offensive skill sets. That can be very intimidating and cause a kid not to want to compete with those proficient scorers, but rather to stay within her comfort zone and do what she feels she does best- rebound, defend, and block. I think Kiah lacked confidence in her offensive game (through no one's 'fault' but her own) and rather than challenge and push herself in that aspect of the game, she chose to seek (and found) self-assurance and comfort in that area she felt confident, in which she felt she was better than all the rest- her defensive skills. Kiah knew that she could contribute better and more comfortably on "D." She could stand out and excel in a way none of the other kids on her team could. And she relished that identity and that role and reputation, on the best team in the nation.

- Heck, after winning NC #10, in the post-game chat with Holly Rowe, Kiah made a self-deprecating joke about her own offensive woes, to the entire TV world, when she sarcastically declared that she would be remembered as the greatest offensive player (inexact wording) in the history of UConn Women's basketball.
- If Kiah wants to develop her offensive game, she can. But it must come from within. And only if she believes in herself. GO FOR IT, KIAH !!!!

 

[msf22b]

Not every coach (not even Geno) gets the ultimate from every player
And Kiah was well known for being a regular occupant of the kennels.
And caused the maestro no end of frustration over the years. (remember a quote most lovable kid that I sometimes hate…or something to that effect).

Does anyone get the sense that the standard UConn practice is to drag the young-uns through the mud, knock them all the way down and then built them back.

If true and it's only a supposition….I (long ago) theorized that if true, was not the best approach for Moriah (for example).
Her father hinted (and I theorized), that we might have gotten a lot of what we now see if she had been handled more gently

All an aside ….thinking again of Kiah one sees super- smart, stubborn, maybe even defiant young woman…definitely not a quitter…remember the local story prior to her junior year, but doing it her way in practice and games.

Also, like a premie (I don't know if she was) learns at her own pace, not the pace set out for her by others.

She could very well be a first-class shooter; we certainly were not witness to many attempts.

Kiah could very well thrive and expand her game at this level.

Be fun to watch.

 

[meyers7]

Be careful using that avatar, Meyers. FIFA and Sepp Blatter's flunkies will demand 150K in a numbered Swiss account when they get wind you're using it.

Well if they award the 2022 WC to the USA, I'll figure out how to come up with 150K.

 

[boontonbomber]

Don't know if many would agree, but I think that the coaches with the premier players at the college level have , beyond trying win championships, some responsibility for developing these players for the next step. Certainly plenty was done to develop Kiah as a rebounder and defensive player. It may be that an effective approach for developing her offensive side was not achieved by the coaching staff. I don't buy the argument that this couldn't be done because she was surrounded by scorers. In fact, since she was surrounded by these scorers ,who attracted more defenders, more opportunities were there for her. I found it frustrating to watch her pass up shots so often , simply to get the ball to the scorers. Kiah is an intelligent and thoughtful person, and I find her comments very interesting.

 

[Aluminny69]

I think have asked this before, but this has got to be a unique situation: A player who didn't start for her college team is drafted high in the first round of the WNBA, and may end up starting for the Liberty. That has to be unprecedented. Can anyone think of another example?

BTW, Kiah did start the first two games of the season, but was replaced with Morgan Tuck after the Stanford game. Any speculation on the reason for this?

 

[UConnCat]

BTW, Kiah did start the first two games of the season, but was replaced with Morgan Tuck after the Stanford game. Any speculation on the reason for this?[/QUOTE]

After the change Geno talked about Morgan's aggressiveness and versatility on offense which gave Stewart more room to operate. Morgan is also better at feeding the post than Kiah. Throughout the season there was no question that the team executed better on offense with Morgan on the court.

 

[VAMike23]

I think have asked this before, but this has got to be a unique situation: A player who didn't start for her college team is drafted high in the first round of the WNBA, and may end up starting for the Liberty. That has to be unprecedented. Can anyone think of another example?

BTW, Kiah did start the first two games of the season, but was replaced with Morgan Tuck after the Stanford game. Any speculation on the reason for this?

Because the offense , or at least the flow of the offense, tended to get stagnant when Kiah was in and Morgan was out. UCONN's offense runs best when the 'big' can facilitate from the high post and be a triple threat from that spot - Stef was exceptional in this area, and Kiah never looked comfortable there. In Iowa, she scored but she was really most comfortable as a back-to-the-basket / deep interior player. Later in her UCONN tenure we saw her put the ball on the floor a few times or shoot from the elbow but for the most part she was never that dynamic when facing the basket at UCONN.

The starting five that Geno settled on was the best offensive unit in most situations. Not as strong on the glass against some top tier opponents.

The second best unit (IMO) was when Kia was subbed out and Kiah took the floor alongside Stewie and Morgan. Still a pretty good offensive flow although it lacked the second attacking guard with Nurse out. DEVASTING defensive capabilities which also created a ton of transition offense. I loved loved LOVED watching this group

 

[j66kicker]

So... Kiah was ranked in the 40's in her high school class, and something like fifth at her position. And she went on to go #11 overall in the WNBA draft. But she wasn't developed at UCONN?? Kiah should be the poster girl for getting developed at UCONN.