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If Kiah averages 10 and 11, she'll be in the competition for ROY. I think Loyd is the pre-season favorite, but we'll see how things transpire.from team's game notes:
- Rookie Kiah Stokes, who is now averaging 10.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in the preseason, also had a game-high four blocked shots while logging a game-high 27:59.
Never! I give all the credit in the world to Kiah. Lamebeer is dead to me!Bill may just be working his way out of the doghouse as far as a number of boneyarders are concerned!!!
Never! I give all the credit in the world to Kiah. Lamebeer is dead to me!
That scene just after this when you have the reaction to the horse croaking, is the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life.
LAMBEER--Kiah is one of our better shooters. Something many of us knew she was. She may or may not do a double double every night, but you are about to see how a kid blossoms with the right environment. As has been said hundreds of times: UConn isn't for everyone!!.If Bill can get Kiah to average double figures this season, then he may become
Coach of the Year material.
Bill may just be working his way out of the doghouse as far as a number of boneyarders are concerned!!!
LAMBEER--Kiah is one of our better shooters. Something many of us knew she was. She may or may not do a double double every night, but you are about to see how a kid blossoms with the right environment. As has been said hundreds of times: UConn isn't for everyone!!.
From Jim Fuller today:
Bill Laimbeer doesn't usually struggle to get his message across so when he met with Kiah Stokes for the first time during the New York Liberty's training camp, he made it clear that the days of Stokes deferring to her teammates were about to come to an end.
Stokes displayed the ability to rebound and block shots and was a willing screener in her four years at UConn. What she didn't do much of was look for her own offense. Knowing that playing 4 on 5 at the WNBA level simply doesn't work, Laimbeer made it clear to Stokes that she needed to look for her own shot.
"We are forcing the situation on her because she is one of our better shooters so we want her to be aggressive offensively especially in the preseason," Laimbeer said. "She has to learn that she can do it and we are counting on her to do it. Every time she doesn't shoot, we remind her 'hey, that is a good shot for you.' She has to learn to expect the ball and be ready to shoot. She understands what we are asking of her. She is a very smart player, you don't have to tell her twice. Recognition of where she is going to be open and prepare herself to shoot, that is a work in progress."
Stokes attempted 14 shots in the Liberty's first preseason game which is more shots than she attempted in any game during her college career.
[LINK]
I can only think of what might have been had Geno and staff took this approach with her at the beginning of her freshman year. The bottom line is winning. UConn did win lots of games during her four year stay. Even coming off the bench, Kiah could have had a double double in at least half of the games every year. She was a very integral part of the team's overall success. Kiah appears to be extremely motivated to meet their expectations this season. I don't really expect her to "bloom" until this time next year, after completing a full season of WNBA and playing overseas in the winter. She'll return home with a completely different mindset with respect to scoring. THEN..she'll be ready.
If Kiah is one of there better shooters, that's not good.LAMBEER--Kiah is one of our better shooters. Something many of us knew she was. She may or may not do a double double every night, but you are about to see how a kid blossoms with the right environment. As has been said hundreds of times: UConn isn't for everyone!!.
I knew that comment was coming. I knew someone couldn't resist writing the obvious.If Kiah is one of there better shooters, that's not good.
Every thing you list, except championships----was done by KIAH alone, Uconn or Iowa she would have had the opportunity and fortitude to accomplish. Her intelligence, came with her brain and parentage, her blocking ability is built into her brain and mobility, who knows where she would have been picked had she stayed at Iowa--she was picked at number 11 mostly because lambeer took a chance.Kiah was graduated with honors
Testified at the state capitol
Won 3 national championships
Became one of the greatest shot blockers in school history\
Made a 3pt shot to get fans wings
and accomplished enough on the court for a WNBA team to trade up in the draft to make her a 1st round pick.
How wasn't UConn for her?
She's pretty good. She's very steady."