Great Article On Uconn By Loyd [merged threads]

[malevocalist#]

http://www.wnba.com/news/jewell-loyd-notre-dame-ncaa-tournament-blog/

 

[bags27]

Loyd's blog is an advertisement for coming to UConn to play under Geno, and there's nary a word for her own coach (who, remember, sort of *****-slapped her for leaving early). Loyd attributes all her success to her own (no help from anyone!) preparation against UConn:

But as well as Notre Dame is playing, they have some big hurdles to clear. The biggest one is a hurdle I never cleared during my three years: UConn. That team is trained like professionals. They leave their egos and concerns and off-the-court problems off the court, so when they come on the court, it’s all about business. It’s a culture they’ve built since even before my Storm teammate, Sue Bird, was there. They’ve done it since the moment they won their first national championship.


Now a lot of teams get scared of UConn.


Even though they eliminated us in the tournament the last three years, I’ve always had a lot of respect for UConn. Every single time we played them — even when they beat us — I always learned something. Coach Auriemma always had something up his sleeve. He changed up his defense so much that it made me understand the game better. I had to. If I wanted to score, if I wanted to help my team out, I had to really watch film and break down how to beat a box-and-one, how to beat a triangle-and-two, how to beat a two-deep zone.


It’s made me a better pro, actually. I had to become a student of the game early: freshman year, watching hours of film by myself trying to figure out how Kobe broke loose, how Diana Taurasi did this. That’s something most freshmen don’t do, but I knew I had to get ready for UConn.

http://www.wnba.com/news/jewell-loyd-notre-dame-ncaa-tournament-blog/

 

[Orangutan]

"Last year, it was predominantly me scoring and, often, everyone else watching."

She did take 300 (!) more shots than anyone else but that's maybe not the most artful way to say it...

ND still did have 3 other players average in double figures last year (Turner, Allen, Reimer) and Allen (not Loyd) was the MVP of the regional.

 

[bags27]

Maybe merge this with the one I posted?

 

[CL82]

But as well as Notre Dame is playing, they have some big hurdles to clear. The biggest one is a hurdle I never cleared during my three years: UConn. That team is trained like professionals. They leave their egos and concerns and off-the-court problems off the court, so when they come on the court, it’s all about business. It’s a culture they’ve built since even before my Storm teammate, Sue Bird, was there. They’ve done it since the moment they won their first national championship.

 

[JordyG]

Ho hum. Another article about an ex WCBB player who didn't go to UConn and how Geno was still able to teach her something. I wonder what A'ja Wilson, Chiney Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Taya Reimer, Azura Stevens, Asia Durr, Kristine Anigwe, and many many others are secretly thinking now.

 

[noirwestern]

Oddly enough this article isn't getting such a warm reception on ND boards. Lloyd is either all about herself or is sucking up to Geno in public for an Olympics slot. Fancy that.

 

[Gate81]

Oddly enough this article isn't getting such a warm reception on ND boards. Lloyd is either all about herself or is sucking up to Geno in public for an Olympics slot. Fancy that.

Agree. Either way not sounding so great. Her version of somebody trying to sing a musical scale: "Me me me me me me me me me."

 

[Plebe]

First of all, I want to say that I like and respect Jewell Loyd a lot, and she has been one of my favorite individual players to watch in recent memory. She's a superstar talent and, from everything I've seen, a fine person. She's at the start of a promising pro and international career.

But I can't help but wonder — especially now as I'm reading between the lines of this article — whether her decision to leave ND early has something to do with dissatisfaction over the state of the team in her junior year. Let's remember: that was when the ND players endured a significant backlash from their activist stance on the Trayvon Martin case, with reactionary members of the fan base publicly returning their season tickets and some (reportedly) issuing threats against the team. Then there was the whole Taya Reimer saga that followed. Could this be part of the subtext when she compliments UConn's players for "leaving their egos and concerns and off-the-court problems off the court, so when they come on the court, it's all about business"?

 

[Jim R]

Ho hum. Another article about an ex WCBB player who didn't go to UConn and how Geno was still able to teach her something. I wonder what A'ja Wilson, Chiney Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Taya Reimer, Azura Stevens, Asia Durr, Kristine Anigwe, and many many others are secretly thinking now.

Exactly...as I said in an earlier discussion:
"While we don't know the motivation of recruits, how many of those that turned down the chance to part of the Husky tradition, look back with regrets? Its probably more than a couple. While they certainly enjoyed their college years, and their teammates, there's nothing like being part of a championship team. There aren't any do-overs. "Shoulda, woulda, coulda" only gets worse with time."

 

[Jim R]

First of all, I want to say that I like and respect Jewell Loyd a lot, and she has been one of my favorite individual players to watch in recent memory. She's a superstar talent and, from everything I've seen, a fine person. She's at the start of a promising pro and international career.

But I can't help but wonder — especially now as I'm reading between the lines of this article — whether her decision to leave ND early has something to do with dissatisfaction over the state of her team in her junior year. Let's remember: that was when the ND players endured a significant backlash from their activist stance on the Trayvon Martin case, with reactionary members of the fan base publicly returning their season tickets and some (reportedly) issuing threats against the team. Then there was the whole Taya Reimer saga that followed. Could this be part of the subtext when she compliments UConn's players for "leaving their egos and concerns and off-the-court problems off the court, so when they come on the court, it's all about business"?

When she made that decision, I couldn't help but consider what she saw coming the following year....another loss to UCONN. Why stay? She'd done all she could do when she left, and realized her goal of a NC probably wasn't in the cards with UCONN healthy. It was time to move on to other challenges. There are worse things than being the first pick in the WNBA draft.

 

[HGN]

Sounds like a good " UConn Recruiting" sound-bite to me. Maybe UConn should tape and use it when bringing in recruits........." Hey , look what former rivals had to say about us , and why you get better coaching and training here at UConn".

 

[CocoHusky]

I sure hope Jewell got her ND diploma in the mail before this article came out, because she might never ever see it. Hard to find anything positive for ND in the article and that must sting especially when it comes from one of your own and reads like a concession speech to a team ND might very well be playing in a few days.

 

[iamcbs]

I believe there are several reasons that Lloyd made the decision to leave ND, they are her own and we as fans shouldn't speculate. There is some obvious animus toward Muffett McGraw, I don't blame Muffett because she seemed genuinely blindsided by Lloyd's decision. Players come and players go and it obviously hasn't hurt either party as Lloyd was WNBA ROY and ND is a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament again, recruiting like crazy and a prohibitive favorite to reach another Final Four. The lavish praise for Geno, while leaving out any mention of Muffett is a tad curious, but again we have no knowledge of the relationship dynamic there. Muffett, I'm sure is concerned with her own team this season and Jewel Lloyd should be concerned with her team not finishing in last place again in the WNBA West. She's so emulative of DT3, she'll get an opportunity to see her up close and personal very soon. I'm sure she won't be disappointed, I know I rarely am.

 

[Orangutan]

I sure hope Jewell got her ND diploma in the mail before this article came out, because she might never ever see it.

She has to earn it first!

 

[CocoHusky]

First of all, I want to say that I like and respect Jewell Loyd a lot, and she has been one of my favorite individual players to watch in recent memory. She's a superstar talent and, from everything I've seen, a fine person. She's at the start of a promising pro and international career.

But I can't help but wonder — especially now as I'm reading between the lines of this article — whether her decision to leave ND early has something to do with dissatisfaction over the state of the team in her junior year. Let's remember: that was when the ND players endured a significant backlash from their activist stance on the Trayvon Martin case, with reactionary members of the fan base publicly returning their season tickets and some (reportedly) issuing threats against the team. Then there was the whole Taya Reimer saga that followed. Could this be part of the subtext when she compliments UConn's players for "leaving their egos and concerns and off-the-court problems off the court, so when they come on the court, it's all about business"?

ND WBB team wore "I can't Breathe"! T-shirt in support of the death at the hands of Police of Eric Garner, it had nothing to do with Trayvon Martin.
The team did take some backlash but got far more support for taking a stance. I think Jewell has this thing wrong, UCONN doesn't have to leave their egos off the court because they work at not having egos in the first place.

 

[CocoHusky]

She has to earn it first!

Are you trying to tell me ND has real standards for handing out diplomas?

 

[JordyG]

I believe there are several reasons that Lloyd made the decision to leave ND, they are her own and we as fans shouldn't speculate. There is some obvious animus toward Muffett McGraw, I don't blame Muffett because she seemed genuinely blindsided by Lloyd's decision. Players come and players go and it obviously hasn't hurt either party as Lloyd was WNBA ROY and ND is a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament again, recruiting like crazy and a prohibitive favorite to reach another Final Four. The lavish praise for Geno, while leaving out any mention of Muffett is a tad curious, but again we have no knowledge of the relationship dynamic there. Muffett, I'm sure is concerned with her own team this season and Jewel Lloyd should be concerned with her team not finishing in last place again in the WNBA West. She's so emulative of DT3, she'll get an opportunity to see her up close and personal very soon. I'm sure she won't be disappointed, I know I rarely am.

You are 100% correct about motivations. You just can't fight history. All you can do is learn and move on. As for my previous post, I'm also wondering how Cox and co. feel about next year's coming logjam at the post. I'm not the first to note that perhaps someone over recruited at that position, and that Brown may start feeling she's the odd woman out.

 

[CocoHusky]

I believe there are several reasons that Lloyd made the decision to leave ND, they are her own and we as fans shouldn't speculate. There is some obvious animus toward Muffett McGraw, I don't blame Muffett because she seemed genuinely blindsided by Lloyd's decision. Players come and players go and it obviously hasn't hurt either party as Lloyd was WNBA ROY and ND is a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament again, recruiting like crazy and a prohibitive favorite to reach another Final Four. The lavish praise for Geno, while leaving out any mention of Muffett is a tad curious, but again we have no knowledge of the relationship dynamic there. Muffett, I'm sure is concerned with her own team this season and Jewel Lloyd should be concerned with her team not finishing in last place again in the WNBA West. She's so emulative of DT3, she'll get an opportunity to see her up close and personal very soon. I'm sure she won't be disappointed, I know I rarely am.

I agree with your "speculations" which were right after the sentence where you state that we shouldn't speculate and would like to point out there is no real harm in speculation.

 

[malevocalist#]

First of all, I want to say that I like and respect Jewell Loyd a lot, and she has been one of my favorite individual players to watch in recent memory. She's a superstar talent and, from everything I've seen, a fine person. She's at the start of a promising pro and international career.

But I can't help but wonder — especially now as I'm reading between the lines of this article — whether her decision to leave ND early has something to do with dissatisfaction over the state of the team in her junior year. Let's remember: that was when the ND players endured a significant backlash from their activist stance on the Trayvon Martin case, with reactionary members of the fan base publicly returning their season tickets and some (reportedly) issuing threats against the team. Then there was the whole Taya Reimer saga that followed. Could this be part of the subtext when she compliments UConn's players for "leaving their egos and concerns and off-the-court problems off the court, so when they come on the court, it's all about business"?

To an extent I totally with you. Nice post.

I don't think she said what she said looking for a spot on Geno's Olympic team as some here alleged. She has learned a few things along the way that she has come to appreciate. Whether it be at ND or going up against Uconn.

She is showing also respect for a great Uconn coaching staff. Some seem to belittle that fact.

I too respect her opinions and love her as a person. And truth be told...Once Mo put that defense on her in the title game last year no one else stood up. Nevertheless, I am sure she respected and loved those players she played beside at Notre Dame.

 

[johnnyc]

Okay that sets the back court on my honorary UConn team.....Kara Lawson and Jewell Loyd.

 

[watanabe]

Loyd was a good adversary for UConn. There hasn't been a lot of them.
We should be blessed with more.
Best of Luck Jewell.

 

[Orangutan]

First of all, I want to say that I like and respect Jewell Loyd a lot, and she has been one of my favorite individual players to watch in recent memory. She's a superstar talent and, from everything I've seen, a fine person. She's at the start of a promising pro and international career.

But I can't help but wonder — especially now as I'm reading between the lines of this article — whether her decision to leave ND early has something to do with dissatisfaction over the state of the team in her junior year. Let's remember: that was when the ND players endured a significant backlash from their activist stance on the Trayvon Martin case, with reactionary members of the fan base publicly returning their season tickets and some (reportedly) issuing threats against the team. Then there was the whole Taya Reimer saga that followed. Could this be part of the subtext when she compliments UConn's players for "leaving their egos and concerns and off-the-court problems off the court, so when they come on the court, it's all about business"?

Most of the the "I Can't Breathe" backlash fell on Reimer, as it was her idea. I don't read that comment about UConn being all business on the court to say anything negative about ND in comparison, however, folks on this year's team are saying that team chemistry is the best it has ever been. Make of that what you will.

I still honestly believe Jewell was just eager to play pro. It's hard to know with her. Compared to people like Skylar and K-Mac who basically have their heart on their sleeve, Jewell is very hard to read (at least from a fan's perspective).