Don’t need to be a “floor general” to be a point guard. Just look at Steph Curry. Thought this bad take got left in the 2010’s. Guess there is still some of y’all.
@@yngtrey1638He has been a very successful coach, that doesn’t always equal best. The women’s game is changing and Geno isn’t keeping up. Paige seemed poised to be part of that change. What happened to that? He really isn’t a good coach now. As for Paige, playing not bad is well below expectations, and I think her ability.
@@davidphilips4736 his team is still a top 10 team while being severely banged up, how do you make this assumption that he’s not a good coach now. I’ll tell you, just like 99% of these comments do, you don’t like him, therefor you speak bad on him. This is how bias works, welcome to the world
@@chanmanv yup, not like Uconn players have any success in the WNBA or anything 🙄 not like one didn’t just win the championship as the best player on her team or anything…. Geno is awful! Keep spreading it to make yourself feel better 😂
In her defense, she doesn’t need to force shots with the team around her. She’s also not playing the same position as Caitlin, so I don’t know why those comparisons ever came about. She’s a shooting guard regardless of how they classify her.
The aja wilson of college basketball 😂😂😂. They already gave her the number 1 draft pick and best player by default... She might be the oldest person on the court but she's not the best... She's just ok....
Keep that energy for Caitlin Clark. You move the goal post for her and are extra critical for everyone else. If she was the Aja Wilson the basketball then that would mean that she would be the best in the league, if y'all wanna see circus shots go watch the globetrotters.
@@jessiec4768 I'm glad we have people who can read and comprehend...I wonder who's talking about aja or caitlin here....This is about paige not living to the expectations... Let them crash out and use insults, being dumb isn't a crime 😎
@Veenic22 carrying a sub par ton2 finals and dropping 40 point triple doubles on top teams and eliminating an undefeated SC.... is better than being carried to a championship by others. Almost like we are comparing individual performances rather than how good your team is. Come back here when when someone drops 30+pt triple double against the top team. Cark has done it in college and the pros as a rookie. Keep moving the goalposts tho
@ All that offense, no defense, no rings, and a lot of turnovers. That my guy is crumbling under pressure. I remember when goats had championships not just popularity.
Well, I suppose she will get out of UConn "soon." People think you come back good as new after injuries, you don't. And especially not at her level where the tiniest difference might be your competitive edge. I've been in doubt that she'll even stick with the WNBA let alone top pick.
Over coached by the greatest coach of all time? You people need your heads checked, I get you don’t like him because you worship Clark but at least be realistic
I was at the game last night. I do agree with you. I think Sarah Strong is the most talented on the team. Geno's offensive philosophy doesn't help her on top of her own passivity. JuJu makes it look hard at this point in her development, too ball dominated and yes she is a scorer , but it not smooth like Texas's Booker who I love as a scorer. JuJu runs into double teams trying to score or get the foul. She passed at key moments of the game last night that was good. Paige , I don't know what to say. I agree with you. Geno best coaching days maybe behind him. Sarah Strong is going to be gold.
Did you hear the crowd booing at Chen's phantom foul when USC was going down? Did you notice JuJu moving her pivot foot multiple times with no call? She's a SUPERSTAR and gets the Call.
Eh ... Clark was superior in college, no doubt. But she had her share of games too where it was only a "quiet 22" and a few assists. So I can't judge either Paige or JuJu at this point based on one game. Clark is the "gold standard," for sure. But let's let these young women play and see where they are at toward the end of the season.
No other college player has the usage rate as Clark did. She literally had the ball in her hands 24/7. Of course no player is going to play up to her standards.
@@yngtrey1638 of course she had the ball in her hands. Name one other player you would want to have the ball other than her? All star game- the ball was in CC’s hands- they blitzed her 94 feet out.
That's... not at all what happened. The blocks were near halftime, and then JuJu wasn't guarding Paige for most of the second half. Paige also hit a 3 right in JuJu's face at end of the 3rd and another mid-range in the 4th. The other 3 or 4 times they were matched, Paige kicked out into good open shots rather than taking a bad, contested one. That's not being afraid, that's being smart with the ball. UCONN did not lose because Paige was passive. They didn't make their shots down the stretch and USC did. Strong also missed 2 critical free throws to tie the game.
People are saying that the coach is holding her back. Or she's tanking so she won't have to go to Dallas. Paige is not aggressive enough. She has to get the ball and look to score. Paige has some really good teammates, but she has to become more aggressive shooting the ball. Not only will I help her scoring, but the team as a whole will get better shots. I noticed the opposite team rarely doubles page. Because she passes to much. Geno can run more plays for her also. 🤔 .
Neither Paige nor Juju belongs on the on the court with Caitlin. Juju is young so she has time to develop we will see. But Caitlin sees the floor like no other.
They have not been CC as a player. They may have beaten CC's Iowa team because they have better overall talent. I highly doubt they will be the player CC is. Broke 62 records, GOAT Rookie of the Year, 1st Team All WNBA, and +7 wins from last year. We will see!
Bueckers is a passive and one dimensional player. She plays with no fire or grit. The media needs to stop comparing her to Clark because she's not on 22's level.
Are they going to retire her jersey on Feb 2 before her career is over? I'm sure both Caitlin and Connor would go since the are playing the Butler women if they didn't have a previous engagement already planned before A'ja's.
Caitlin Clark is a1 dimensional player when is she good when she is not in transition? She was exposed already hopefully she changed her game. If you wanna be critical on somebody be critical on your favorite player. You guys try to minimize others so Clark could look like she's better when she's not. All you could do is boast about records but she hasn't won. Most 3 pointers in the league but her average is 34% which is 26 in the league. Most assists but when you factor in the turnovers they can't swallow each other put these stats in context.
@@hottrakz Clark, as good as she is, admits to needing to improve her game. She'll continue to add to her skills. But she's hardly one dimensional. Bueckers supposedly has all the tools, aka multidimensional, but she doesn't have the killer instinct. I think that's as good as she gets. I wasn't really a JuJu fan, but after yesterday's game I'm going to keep an eye on her.
Caitlin DGAF about efficiency or shooting percentages when there’s a game to win. She could go 0-8 but she’s cool if she goes 3-3 in the fourth, she has a lead dog mentality even in the pros. Her team. Her call. Her shot. Or if the right teammate is open…ha ha j/k, game on the line, we all know who is taking the shot. Paige doesn’t have that part anymore, her confidence is shot from all the injuries and probably coach yelling at her. Caveat - could be a Jordan at North Carolina situation. Dean Smith was the only coach who held him to 20ppg or under, he said. Free of Geno she could go off but we won’t know til she’s in the league. I wouldn’t bet on it. She isn’t Caitlin. Juju is closer in mentality. Hidalgo, too. “I’m the alpha dog here and you’re gonna have to take it from me.”
I think it's more that UCONN is not together as a team....several S E L F I S H plays throughout and they were barking at each other. Both USC and UCONN will be destroyed by LSU not to mention the Gamecocks and probably Tennessee also. The SEC is where it's at from now on.
Mick. I’m a UConn fan. I was kind of out on Paige Bueckers after the Notre dame game last year. And then she kicked it up a notch in February and march and was undeniably a first team all American. Maybe it will happen again this year? She should be out of the player of the year race for sure. But ultimately, these games in December don’t matter that much. As a UConn fan. You know who I really want to talk about? Azzi Fudd.
Paige is tanking her stock badly. Strong consistently looks like the best player on the floor for UConn. Sad that super senior Paige doesn't seem to have that dog in her
Mick, you’re wrong here; Paige is doing all she is able to do, there is no mental block or passivity problem. She cannot control the game or dominate, there are not even flashes of such ability--she’s an above average college player and a great shooter but is otherwise limited. If her last name was Smith, we’d all watch her play and say she’s a good college player, not someone we expect any more from. Looks like a marginal WNBA player with her build and quickness-she’s a very good shooter so maybe hangs on as a role playing sniper in the WNBA.
@@howiworkthisshi knee injury and Geno. She also hasn't changed much size wise from her high school days. You think after she destroyed her knee, she'd be in the weight room trying to get bigger and stronger, but she's still a twig.
Either team could have won. It was down to flukes, in the end. Neither Paige nor Juju was, or is, a super star. But they did star, both of them, and I'm not disappointed in Paige. I think she did as well as we have a right to expect. She's not Caitlin Clark, after all.
This is such a tired narrative. What an amazing stat line. CC fans just don’t understand efficeiency. Getting 22 on 16 shots vs a top 10 team w 6 boards and 5 assists is elite. Not every player shoots 25-30 shots a game (while also being a liability on D). Remind me again how many big games CC had when it mattered? She was 5/25 in 2 playoff games from deep (literally shooting her team out of the first game). CC is no god, she’s an overrated high volume/low efficiency 1 way player. Go look at steve nash’s stats and you’ll see what this is actually supposed to look like…
@@gmoney5772 Oh, I definitely think Paige is "elite". ...The rest of your arguments don't hold much water. 😒 At the best, they're based on cherry picking.
@@gmoney5772 Sadly Paige took TWENTY TWO shots to get 22 points. That's not efficient any way you slice it. 2-8 from three and 2-4 from the stripe ain't efficient either. Paige also only had TWO assists and 3 rebounds. As far as CC goes, she averaged only 20 shots a game in college and was the 1st woman to score 40 pts and have 10 assists in a tournament game since 2003!!! She thought that was so awesome, she did it TWICE!!
How many games this season did Katelyn Clark disappear in the fourth quarter if you wanted to have that energy keep it for her too. There were games they lost last season that it looked like she just gave up at the end she would rather has to try to get an assist instead of shooting the ball.
What both JuJu and Paige lack is the rare fire that burns within Caitlin Clark to be the best to ever play. CC has the Jordon and Kobe gene. As talented as JuJu and Paige are, I do not see that killer in them. Paige and JuJu have the length and skill to be very good players in the WNBA but legendary? No.
The comeback that UConn had was pretty heroic. Paige, .. it will be interesting to see when she's out of the Uconn sphere. If I was Auriemma, I'd have her practice finishing to the basket, more. It did seem that USC knew that Paige wasn't going to drive in, for a layup .. and, most of the time, she didn't.
I believe it’s more of a lousy coaching job, by Geno. If you can’t get Paige to cut loose at the time when he needs her to do so, then that’s on him. He could sit her if she isn’t responding to coaching.
The game scoring aside ,I saw ZERO charisma in that game. Hannah Hildago has the IT factor besides being a good player. Entertainment factor was missing.
I dont think people are giving enough credit to how impactful that early season injury might have been to Paige's confidence. Yes, systems coaches can have an effect on how people play, but I think the injury was the domino that made her look more closely at how she takes risks.
I gotta agree with you but I think it's Auriemma's fault. One comment about Paiges game that we here a lot is that she rarely makes a mistake and that's the problem. She's afraid to make a mistake. When you watch Caitlin Clark she has a lot of turnovers. Part of the reason is that she takes chances and maybe her pass is slightly off or her target isn't ready (just watch her first month of play last year). But that is why she's the assist leader. When Taurosi was asked if Geno would ever let them take a logo 3 she said, "Hell no. He wouldn't even let us dribble." Bruder, Clark's coach said "You don't break a horse, you tame it." Auriemma's coaching can break someone so they fit his mold. Paige just looks like she's too afraid to make a mistake because Geno often throws players under the bus.
Yes .. after watching the USC-UConn game .. she stepped up when the got way behind but JuJu much more physically ready for WNBA. Paige can hit from everywhere but seemed limited in shots taken. JuJu played with no fear. We’ll see this match-up, hopefully, this spring.
Hey, don't go dissing her. She has a shoe and apparel. Nike knows she is better. If it really takes two years to make a shoe, did Nike start working on hers the year she wasn't playing?
she doesn't have a shoe, she has a PE that she doesn't even wear, people speculate that they gave her a PE because she won't get a shoe since nike already has shoes for Sabrina, A'ja and Caitlin
@@nono-mu9rwshe does to have a damn shoe they showed during Uconn's game against Louisville it's made by Nike it's like aqua and pink and they legit she's the first female college athlete to have her own it's pretty pathetic how hard y'all still hate and I hate to burst your bubble but In that Louisville game her whole damn team was wearing those bitches because she gifted everyone on them a pair Soo go in keep hatin😂😂
@@yngtrey1638 Geno is the Bill Belichick of Women's college basketball. Once he got Kerry Bascom and then Rebecca Lobo, it was all smooth sailing from there. But if he coached a team, let's say Iowa, they wouldn't get past the first round. We all know Pat Summit was the greatest coach.
@@clarkkent1521 that’s a terrible logic, winning is winning. No one has won as much as him. Also saying he’s Bill of the college game is more of a compliment than you can comprehend lol 11 chips my dude
I don't always agree with Mick, but I agree here. It really seems like Paige does play kind of "passive." I only saw parts of the USC game, but looking at the box score I was kind of surprised to see Bueckers with only 2 assists. She scored 22, but I certainly thought she'd do more either in scoring or dishing. She just has seemed hesitant this season. Not sure what is going on. She might be falling out of that #1 draft spot.
we need to realize that paige just don’t have on her to shoot of the dribble and accept that already. she has skills but she’s a glorified 3 and D shooting guard who is forcing play as PG atp
Paige wasn't the problem in this game. When Ice Brady was on the floor, they were getting smoked. Geno waited too long to pull her. Shade was defended tightly and couldn't get shots off. And Chen's lack of production is an ongoing concern.
I really think Geno has gotten in her head that she needs to get others involved, but it's messed with her psyche. She was better as a freshman when she played with less restrictions.
Watching her play against USC, I feel like she wouldn't last very long in the wnba..being passive is obvious, but the way she's built I think she'll break in many pieces if she was to take half of the shots Caitlin had taken her rookie year, and I seriously think they'll ease up on her even after that speech and having played for Yukon. I don't think she'll be first pick at this point//
IMO, Paige most likely has seen how Clark is being treated and she don't want to fall on to that same stage since media and social media compare her to CC or say she's better than Caitlin. Self sabotage to remove the spotlight off of her until she leaves UConn. Or she just starting to crack under the pressure.
Paige faced a good defense. She’s not so big and strong that she can get a shot off any time she wants. I think the bigger issue is her assists total but she plays off the ball. Blaming Geno is getting old this is not a super team. Strong is it in the middle, Jana too slow.
And just watch, she'll play great against middling Big East competition for the next six weeks, aggressive and dominant. But then in February for the next big nationally televised events, away games against Tennessee and South Carolina, she'll crawl back into her shell and start deferring again. Frustrating indeed. And Geno? Don't even get me started.
Paige's knees are so fragile she cannot risk contact. Otherwise, she's a wonderful player....just has been injured too many times. Still, UCONN would have won with Chen locking JuJu down until the Referees got involved and gave JuJu the call. An interesting game was ruined by Marketing (which controls the Call).
I think you're right about her fear for her knees. There was a moment in the game where she looked as if she just wanted to stay back. I was wondering if maybe she was ill. The knees are a good explanation.
I watched the UCon vrs USC game, I thought Paige had a good game. She doesn’t bring the energy of Hanna she just glides and u don’t notice her as much. She will be a good asset to any team that drafts her. I give JuJu the edge only because of size. Good luck ladies.❤❤❤
Geno "I perpetually think it's 2008" Auriemma transforms another exciting player into another boring WNBA prospect. Then everyone wonders why nobody wanted to watch the WNBA.
I feel like I'm watching a different game than everyone else. I did not see Paige being "passive", but rather making good decisions. She hit her open shots and kicked out when trapped, rather than forcing a contested shot. If Strong hits that 3 (off a good Paige pass) or makes her free throws, no one is saying this. UCONN does not play a system designed around one player, so shaming Paige for not taking over a game seems disingenuous. In the last 3 minutes, both teams had open looks and free throws. USC made their shots, UCONN didn't. Game over.
I was on the Adrianne Ross channel during the game and a few people in the chat said they thought Paige was dogging it to not get drafted number one. To avoid going to Dallas.. Thoughts?
By Watching Paige run, it appears that she’s trying to sprint and be quick and explosive but just lacks the physical ability. It’s not that Paige doesn’t want to, it’s just that she can’t.
Yes she is too passive but is the fault of the coach whose dogma of how to play the game lacks the fluidity of being able to adjust to the game you have before you get to the game you want Gino is not aging well in his coaching style Pat summit in her prime would have lit a fire up her bum Great coaches can adjust and make changes according to the situation gino is having less ability doing this each year and not just with Paige Uconn might should get a new coach
They need to run their offense thru Sarah, its so obvious. But, they will never do that because of egos. If they run thru Sarah they will be unstoppable!
She has a VERY good all around game…she’s not strong enough. Also, the injuries would make me take pause as a GM. She has been eclipsed by CC and now JuJu. Still…a baller
Juju is 19 years old born JUly 15, 2005, 4 years younger than Paige Bueckers. Paige is also lder than Caitlin cLark born 1/22/02 and Paige 10/20/01. Caitlin has been in the WNBA for a whole year earlier than Paige even though she is younger and graduated in 4 years with a 3.64 cumulative Index. Paige has been in college 5 years and could go 6. So comparisons with everyone are really out of question. Is Paige ready for the WNBA. She is way too passive and does not take over a game the way Caitlin and Juju do. I think it's that simple. She is a great player but doesn't have the kill and win mentality so needed by a point guard in any leaguw. It's that simple.
I didn't know who Geno Auriemma was until I heard his interview on the Dan Patrick show, wherein he talked a river of crap about Caitlin Clark. That made a lousy impression. And every time I've heard him since he's reinforced it. Clearly he's had great success as a coach, but I can't help thinking his success came about from his ability to remake players in his image.
A lot of complaining about Paige and her aggression. Let's say that's true, so what. So, she doesn't lead a team in the W. She's averaging 21 points on 56% from 2 and 42% from 3. She can be one of the best 2nd options in the WNBA. The real problem is UCONN does not have enough talent and Paige has to be almost superhuman to win some of these games.
She cares too much about her effeciency, that's why she's afraid to shoot. All great players will amd can take-over games when they're needed, she doesn't do that. She may be good but she's not great because of that. Too passive.
Paige is a commercial draft pick--you would take her number 1 overall for the money decisions. Skill wise, she's not a point guard (regardless of how much you try to claim she is, she's never been a successful point guard), She will struggle in the WNBA because she's like 140 pounds in weight, and that's going to rank near the very bottom of the league--with those 5'8s and 5'7s that exist in the league. She's definitely not dominant in any form or facet at that weight class. Which includes offense/ defense since all opposing starters are literally too fast for Paige or too strong/ bulky for Paige. She'll sell tickets, make a few shots much like Jacy Sheldon, but she's not going to be ALL-WNBA level at any point in her first 3 or 4 years in the league. And no, there was no "freshman Paige" phenom--she was simply playing in the Big East on a COVID schedule with like 8 WNBA draftees on the roster that year. Unfortunately for her, she actually had often been the worst starter on the court each and every game, sans maybe 2 or 3 of them. Her usage was higher than normal--which is beyond me on the reason why--but she wasn't the "best" player on her team nor did she ultimately do something that showed it. You can review the previous stats, but Paige was at her peak last year when she had a 24 ppg run in the NCAA tournament. Those were some of the best games she's ever played. Even then those aren't that special in the grand scheme of UCONN's history or the entirety of the NCAA. Big East is a weak conference. Paige has been in a weak conference her whole career. That's simply the reality--you are what you compete against.
Paige is not aggressive enough. I have never seen her "take over" a game. She is too unselfish. I think she needs to learn that she has the skills and ability to take over, but she tries to involve others tomuch when late in the game, and the score is close. Other teams know that and defend that way. Just my thoughts...
Paige is listed as a point guard but I think she's a better 2. She doesn't have the mentality of a floor general.
👍
Anyway yes in a way now
She rarely brings the ball up the floor
Don’t need to be a “floor general” to be a point guard. Just look at Steph Curry. Thought this bad take got left in the 2010’s. Guess there is still some of y’all.
@yngtrey1638 Steph is a 2 not a point.
I just don’t get the hype, I want to but she’s not exciting. She’s gun shy, maybe Geno did it to her.
She used to be exciting before Geno got a hold of her.
You clearly didn’t see her en Highschool 6 years ago
Best coach of all time in the women’s game didn’t hurt her. She’s also not playing bad
@@yngtrey1638He has been a very successful coach, that doesn’t always equal best. The women’s game is changing and Geno isn’t keeping up. Paige seemed poised to be part of that change. What happened to that? He really isn’t a good coach now. As for Paige, playing not bad is well below expectations, and I think her ability.
@@davidphilips4736 his team is still a top 10 team while being severely banged up, how do you make this assumption that he’s not a good coach now. I’ll tell you, just like 99% of these comments do, you don’t like him, therefor you speak bad on him. This is how bias works, welcome to the world
Thanks! Did you notice that juju had leg cramps in the second half?
That’s Geno’s system for you. Without aggression, Paige will get eaten alive by the best WNBA defenders.
@@chanmanv yup, not like Uconn players have any success in the WNBA or anything 🙄 not like one didn’t just win the championship as the best player on her team or anything…. Geno is awful! Keep spreading it to make yourself feel better 😂
In her defense, she doesn’t need to force shots with the team around her.
She’s also not playing the same position as Caitlin, so I don’t know why those comparisons ever came about. She’s a shooting guard regardless of how they classify her.
The aja wilson of college basketball 😂😂😂. They already gave her the number 1 draft pick and best player by default... She might be the oldest person on the court but she's not the best... She's just ok....
Aja Wilson won a championship in college and the pros as a leader stupid comment
@@anthonytaylor7928 no one cares, she's the Queen of Mean
@@anthonytaylor7928you saying “stupid comment” was stupid to say cuz it was against Paige, not Aja. Man you must be dumb lol
Keep that energy for Caitlin Clark. You move the goal post for her and are extra critical for everyone else. If she was the Aja Wilson the basketball then that would mean that she would be the best in the league, if y'all wanna see circus shots go watch the globetrotters.
@@jessiec4768 I'm glad we have people who can read and comprehend...I wonder who's talking about aja or caitlin here....This is about paige not living to the expectations... Let them crash out and use insults, being dumb isn't a crime 😎
Christie Sides tried to control CC the way Geno does to Paige.
I think we learnt neither of these so called stars arent close to clark... both crumbled under pressure
They are not trying to be like Clark so shut up
Clark has no championships either
@Veenic22 carrying a sub par ton2 finals and dropping 40 point triple doubles on top teams and eliminating an undefeated SC.... is better than being carried to a championship by others. Almost like we are comparing individual performances rather than how good your team is. Come back here when when someone drops 30+pt triple double against the top team. Cark has done it in college and the pros as a rookie. Keep moving the goalposts tho
@ All that offense, no defense, no rings, and a lot of turnovers. That my guy is crumbling under pressure. I remember when goats had championships not just popularity.
JuJu is great, she's a sophomore. Why do you have to compare her to a current pro? She'll get there.
I'm hoping that Paige's passiveness gives Satou a reason to go to Indiana with Clark
Over coached by Geno. She needs to get out of UConn. Also, I am more concerned about her knees than her head.
looks like she is playing on a pair of "rented" legs
I heard her knees and head aren't bad.
Well, I suppose she will get out of UConn "soon." People think you come back good as new after injuries, you don't. And especially not at her level where the tiniest difference might be your competitive edge. I've been in doubt that she'll even stick with the WNBA let alone top pick.
Over coached by the greatest coach of all time? You people need your heads checked, I get you don’t like him because you worship Clark but at least be realistic
@@tamramlyes. Paige is tired
I was at the game last night. I do agree with you. I think Sarah Strong is the most talented on the team. Geno's offensive philosophy doesn't help her on top of her own passivity. JuJu makes it look hard at this point in her development, too ball dominated and yes she is a scorer , but it not smooth like Texas's Booker who I love as a scorer. JuJu runs into double teams trying to score or get the foul. She passed at key moments of the game last night that was good.
Paige , I don't know what to say. I agree with you.
Geno best coaching days maybe behind him. Sarah Strong is going to be gold.
Did you hear the crowd booing at Chen's phantom foul when USC was going down? Did you notice JuJu moving her pivot foot multiple times with no call? She's a SUPERSTAR and gets the Call.
People compare Paige and JuJu to CC… watched the game tonight. What planet do they live on?
Eh ... Clark was superior in college, no doubt. But she had her share of games too where it was only a "quiet 22" and a few assists. So I can't judge either Paige or JuJu at this point based on one game. Clark is the "gold standard," for sure. But let's let these young women play and see where they are at toward the end of the season.
No other college player has the usage rate as Clark did. She literally had the ball in her hands 24/7. Of course no player is going to play up to her standards.
@@yngtrey1638 of course she had the ball in her hands. Name one other player you would want to have the ball other than her?
All star game- the ball was in CC’s hands- they blitzed her 94 feet out.
ik neither of them had half as many turnovers, technical fouls, or temper tantrums as clark does in a game
@@Jim-66Dodge Clark is not the best player ever, the sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll understand. She’s Steph curry to Michael Jordan.
JuJu got in her head by blocking her 3 fairly early on. After that Paige wouldn't take on JuJu.
That's... not at all what happened. The blocks were near halftime, and then JuJu wasn't guarding Paige for most of the second half. Paige also hit a 3 right in JuJu's face at end of the 3rd and another mid-range in the 4th. The other 3 or 4 times they were matched, Paige kicked out into good open shots rather than taking a bad, contested one. That's not being afraid, that's being smart with the ball.
UCONN did not lose because Paige was passive. They didn't make their shots down the stretch and USC did. Strong also missed 2 critical free throws to tie the game.
People are saying that the coach is holding her back. Or she's tanking so she won't have to go to Dallas. Paige is not aggressive enough. She has to get the ball and look to score. Paige has some really good teammates, but she has to become more aggressive shooting the ball. Not only will I help her scoring, but the team as a whole will get better shots. I noticed the opposite team rarely doubles page. Because she passes to much. Geno can run more plays for her also. 🤔
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Neither Paige nor Juju belongs on the on the court with Caitlin. Juju is young so she has time to develop we will see. But Caitlin sees the floor like no other.
both these girls have beaten Caitlin before. CC delusional fan as always
They have not been CC as a player. They may have beaten CC's Iowa team because they have better overall talent. I highly doubt they will be the player CC is. Broke 62 records, GOAT Rookie of the Year, 1st Team All WNBA, and +7 wins from last year. We will see!
And we will see how many more + wins in 2025. The win count continues in 2025 to maybe 30+ wins total on the season..
Maybe!
Are any of these players Paige,etc. as good of a rising tide that elevates all boats like CC? Maybe, maybe not!
Bueckers is a passive and one dimensional player. She plays with no fire or grit. The media needs to stop comparing her to Clark because she's not on 22's level.
Are they going to retire her jersey on Feb 2 before her career is over? I'm sure both Caitlin and Connor would go since the are playing the Butler women if they didn't have a previous engagement already planned before A'ja's.
Caitlin Clark is a1 dimensional player when is she good when she is not in transition? She was exposed already hopefully she changed her game. If you wanna be critical on somebody be critical on your favorite player. You guys try to minimize others so Clark could look like she's better when she's not. All you could do is boast about records but she hasn't won. Most 3 pointers in the league but her average is 34% which is 26 in the league. Most assists but when you factor in the turnovers they can't swallow each other put these stats in context.
@@hottrakzled both leagues in scoring and assists consistently. Cc hardly one dimensional
she is hardly one dimensional
@@hottrakz Clark, as good as she is, admits to needing to improve her game. She'll continue to add to her skills. But she's hardly one dimensional. Bueckers supposedly has all the tools, aka multidimensional, but she doesn't have the killer instinct. I think that's as good as she gets. I wasn't really a JuJu fan, but after yesterday's game I'm going to keep an eye on her.
Its geno-ball.
Caitlin DGAF about efficiency or shooting percentages when there’s a game to win. She could go 0-8 but she’s cool if she goes 3-3 in the fourth, she has a lead dog mentality even in the pros. Her team. Her call. Her shot. Or if the right teammate is open…ha ha j/k, game on the line, we all know who is taking the shot. Paige doesn’t have that part anymore, her confidence is shot from all the injuries and probably coach yelling at her. Caveat - could be a Jordan at North Carolina situation. Dean Smith was the only coach who held him to 20ppg or under, he said. Free of Geno she could go off but we won’t know til she’s in the league. I wouldn’t bet on it. She isn’t Caitlin. Juju is closer in mentality. Hidalgo, too. “I’m the alpha dog here and you’re gonna have to take it from me.”
I think it's more that UCONN is not together as a team....several S E L F I S H plays throughout and they were barking at each other. Both USC and UCONN will be destroyed by LSU not to mention the Gamecocks and probably Tennessee also. The SEC is where it's at from now on.
CC is alpha dog but still not a winner, people have taken it from her everytime
Mick. I’m a UConn fan. I was kind of out on Paige Bueckers after the Notre dame game last year. And then she kicked it up a notch in February and march and was undeniably a first team all American. Maybe it will happen again this year? She should be out of the player of the year race for sure. But ultimately, these games in December don’t matter that much.
As a UConn fan. You know who I really want to talk about? Azzi Fudd.
Paige is tanking her stock badly. Strong consistently looks like the best player on the floor for UConn. Sad that super senior Paige doesn't seem to have that dog in her
Maybe Sarah Strong needs to be UConn's #1 option. That freshman is big time. She's fearless. Get Sarah the ball more!
Give Geno time and he will ruin her.
Mick, you’re wrong here; Paige is doing all she is able to do, there is no mental block or passivity problem. She cannot control the game or dominate, there are not even flashes of such ability--she’s an above average college player and a great shooter but is otherwise limited. If her last name was Smith, we’d all watch her play and say she’s a good college player, not someone we expect any more from. Looks like a marginal WNBA player with her build and quickness-she’s a very good shooter so maybe hangs on as a role playing sniper in the WNBA.
Have you watched her old games? The difference is night and day. She DID dominate, she just isn’t now
@@howiworkthisshi BINGO!!!!
@@howiworkthisshi knee injury and Geno. She also hasn't changed much size wise from her high school days. You think after she destroyed her knee, she'd be in the weight room trying to get bigger and stronger, but she's still a twig.
you've got people saying "oh but 6 years ago she was great in high school". How many good players did she play in high school?
Ultimately Sarah Strong might be a better player
Either team could have won. It was down to flukes, in the end. Neither Paige nor Juju was, or is, a super star. But they did star, both of them, and I'm not disappointed in Paige. I think she did as well as we have a right to expect. She's not Caitlin Clark, after all.
This is such a tired narrative. What an amazing stat line. CC fans just don’t understand efficeiency. Getting 22 on 16 shots vs a top 10 team w 6 boards and 5 assists is elite. Not every player shoots 25-30 shots a game (while also being a liability on D). Remind me again how many big games CC had when it mattered? She was 5/25 in 2 playoff games from deep (literally shooting her team out of the first game). CC is no god, she’s an overrated high volume/low efficiency 1 way player. Go look at steve nash’s stats and you’ll see what this is actually supposed to look like…
@@gmoney5772 Oh, I definitely think Paige is "elite". ...The rest of your arguments don't hold much water. 😒 At the best, they're based on cherry picking.
@@gmoney5772 Sadly Paige took TWENTY TWO shots to get 22 points. That's not efficient any way you slice it. 2-8 from three and 2-4 from the stripe ain't efficient either. Paige also only had TWO assists and 3 rebounds. As far as CC goes, she averaged only 20 shots a game in college and was the 1st woman to score 40 pts and have 10 assists in a tournament game since 2003!!! She thought that was so awesome, she did it TWICE!!
How many games this season did Katelyn Clark disappear in the fourth quarter if you wanted to have that energy keep it for her too. There were games they lost last season that it looked like she just gave up at the end she would rather has to try to get an assist instead of shooting the ball.
@@hottrakzna cc22 head and shoulders above the rest
Id honestly pass on Kiki and wait for Lauren Betts next year. Now she's an elite Big
What both JuJu and Paige lack is the rare fire that burns within Caitlin Clark to be the best to ever play. CC has the Jordon and Kobe gene. As talented as JuJu and Paige are, I do not see that killer in them. Paige and JuJu have the length and skill to be very good players in the WNBA but legendary? No.
you are absolutely correct; thank you for stating this so clearly
its to early for JuJu, give her time
Saying this when juju carried her squad to the elite 8 and went bucket for bucket is actually insane. 27.5 ppg in the tournament as a freshman😭😭
The comeback that UConn had was pretty heroic. Paige, .. it will be interesting to see when she's out of the Uconn sphere. If I was Auriemma, I'd have her practice finishing to the basket, more. It did seem that USC knew that Paige wasn't going to drive in, for a layup .. and, most of the time, she didn't.
Geno ruined her! Thank gawd he didn’t get his “my way or the highway” hands on Caitlin with that coaching” philosophy!
that was a great game
Maybe she's just trying to get dallas to not take her
It’s like she has to get mad before she gets going or takes over the game.
I'm thinking if this game doesn't wake her up then something's wrong.
Geno needs to stomp on her foot just before each game starts. That will get her going.
@@DavidStewart-v5e the other thought I had was maybe we were seeing how much she doesn't want to go to Dallas.
I believe it’s more of a lousy coaching job, by Geno. If you can’t get Paige to cut loose at the time when he needs her to do so, then that’s on him. He could sit her if she isn’t responding to coaching.
@@dcrandle7665 You're probably correct.
Thanks for staying up past your bedtime to give us content Mick, we appreciate you!!!
She’s a SG…not a PG…full stop!
The game scoring aside ,I saw ZERO charisma in that game. Hannah Hildago has the IT factor besides being a good player. Entertainment factor was missing.
I dont think people are giving enough credit to how impactful that early season injury might have been to Paige's confidence. Yes, systems coaches can have an effect on how people play, but I think the injury was the domino that made her look more closely at how she takes risks.
Hey Mick, just wondering, do you think that Paige is tanking herself because she doesn’t want to go to Dallas on the first round draft pick?
Great catch. That's a possibility.
Anything is possible
You just confirmed that CC is the GOAT took you a while Mick
I gotta agree with you but I think it's Auriemma's fault. One comment about Paiges game that we here a lot is that she rarely makes a mistake and that's the problem. She's afraid to make a mistake. When you watch Caitlin Clark she has a lot of turnovers. Part of the reason is that she takes chances and maybe her pass is slightly off or her target isn't ready (just watch her first month of play last year). But that is why she's the assist leader. When Taurosi was asked if Geno would ever let them take a logo 3 she said, "Hell no. He wouldn't even let us dribble." Bruder, Clark's coach said "You don't break a horse, you tame it." Auriemma's coaching can break someone so they fit his mold. Paige just looks like she's too afraid to make a mistake because Geno often throws players under the bus.
Maybe this is what she is. I was not real impressed Paige is just another good player NOT great. You keep talking her up but I dont see it.
Well unlike you I will give her credit there's no way they even get close to the final four last year without her 🙄🙄
Feels like Geno to me. There's a reason her freshman year was her best year and it isn't injury.
It’s interesting that Paige looks really good when her team is down 18, but then when it’s close she disappears again.
I’m going to give her some grace. I want to see if Geno is the problem. Could be something like Dean Smith who is to hold his players back
passive or Genoed?
Exactly
Alphas don’t get genoed
The second one for sure.
98% Genoed 2% passive😂😂😂
Yes .. after watching the USC-UConn game .. she stepped up when the got way behind but JuJu much more physically ready for WNBA.
Paige can hit from everywhere but seemed limited in shots taken. JuJu played with no fear.
We’ll see this match-up, hopefully, this spring.
Hey, don't go dissing her. She has a shoe and apparel. Nike knows she is better. If it really takes two years to make a shoe, did Nike start working on hers the year she wasn't playing?
Only because they hate CC.
she doesn't have a shoe, she has a PE that she doesn't even wear, people speculate that they gave her a PE because she won't get a shoe since nike already has shoes for Sabrina, A'ja and Caitlin
Obsession about somebody tends to make you look strange, this is what is happening here
@@nono-mu9rwshe does to have a damn shoe they showed during Uconn's game against Louisville it's made by Nike it's like aqua and pink and they legit she's the first female college athlete to have her own it's pretty pathetic how hard y'all still hate and I hate to burst your bubble but In that Louisville game her whole damn team was wearing those bitches because she gifted everyone on them a pair Soo go in keep hatin😂😂
she is going to be the biggest bust in women's basketball with a show deal. Nike are going to look like a joke.
Geno is the problem.
@@clarkkent1521 people like you get opinions. Smh
@yngtrey1638 Meet mirror. Opinions is all you do in Mick's videos.
@@clarkkent1521 but saying the greatest women’s coach of all time is a “problem” sort of ruins opinions… Unfortunately their are wrong opinions
@@yngtrey1638 Geno is the Bill Belichick of Women's college basketball. Once he got Kerry Bascom and then Rebecca Lobo, it was all smooth sailing from there. But if he coached a team, let's say Iowa, they wouldn't get past the first round. We all know Pat Summit was the greatest coach.
@@clarkkent1521 that’s a terrible logic, winning is winning. No one has won as much as him. Also saying he’s Bill of the college game is more of a compliment than you can comprehend lol 11 chips my dude
Geno has coached the “superstar” out of her!
If CC would have gone to UCONN we may not even know her name now!
Mike, I think Paige is tanking so she can be the second draft pick for Los Angeles.
You might be on to something here
Hoping it's not , that should be unfair and not 100% sure of such an achievement. But i hope you re right cos i want the old times Bueckers back.
That isn't a great plan. she might get drafted much later, depending on who declares for the draft
I don't always agree with Mick, but I agree here. It really seems like Paige does play kind of "passive." I only saw parts of the USC game, but looking at the box score I was kind of surprised to see Bueckers with only 2 assists. She scored 22, but I certainly thought she'd do more either in scoring or dishing. She just has seemed hesitant this season. Not sure what is going on. She might be falling out of that #1 draft spot.
Bueckers is what Caitlin Clark haters think CC is
Paige left it all in the green room the night of the Espy's.
we need to realize that paige just don’t have on her to shoot of the dribble and accept that already. she has skills but she’s a glorified 3 and D shooting guard who is forcing play as PG atp
Why don't we acknowledge the that Paige needs help there's no way they win a championship if Azzi isn't healthy 🤷🤷
Sarah strong is excellent. For her to be going one on one with Iriafen because UConn switched to small ball… that really impressed me.
Paige doesn’t have that CC passion on the court. And isn’t fun to watch. She’s good but doesn’t have the spark.
Paige wasn't the problem in this game. When Ice Brady was on the floor, they were getting smoked. Geno waited too long to pull her. Shade was defended tightly and couldn't get shots off. And Chen's lack of production is an ongoing concern.
Sarah Strong is the best player on the UCONN team!
She is trying to get drafted by LA Sparks
She played well yesterday in the second half. Juju played well in the first half
I really think Geno has gotten in her head that she needs to get others involved, but it's messed with her psyche. She was better as a freshman when she played with less restrictions.
She simply had more talent around her as a freshman. smh Paige is overrated. She is no CC and neither is Juju.
@ I agree. CC is in a league of her own.
Give Paige a break.the media pumped her up not her fault injuries have slowed her down and she's playing too many minutes
Watching her play against USC, I feel like she wouldn't last very long in the wnba..being passive is obvious, but the way she's built I think she'll break in many pieces if she was to take half of the shots Caitlin had taken her rookie year, and I seriously think they'll ease up on her even after that speech and having played for Yukon. I don't think she'll be first pick at this point//
Why everything got to be compared to Clark these players are doing their own thing they ain't trying to be like Clark so shut up
IMO, Paige most likely has seen how Clark is being treated and she don't want to fall on to that same stage since media and social media compare her to CC or say she's better than Caitlin. Self sabotage to remove the spotlight off of her until she leaves UConn. Or she just starting to crack under the pressure.
I am starting to wonder if Paige is playing the way she is so she won't be the number 1 draft pick and instead be picked up by LA in the 2 spot.
Paige faced a good defense. She’s not so big and strong that she can get a shot off any time she wants. I think the bigger issue is her assists total but she plays off the ball. Blaming Geno is getting old this is not a super team. Strong is it in the middle, Jana too slow.
And just watch, she'll play great against middling Big East competition for the next six weeks, aggressive and dominant. But then in February for the next big nationally televised events, away games against Tennessee and South Carolina, she'll crawl back into her shell and start deferring again. Frustrating indeed. And Geno? Don't even get me started.
She has to make her players good. All her teammates want Nike shoes. Paige is humble. I’m if I was Paige I’d be running around in my own Nike shoes
she needs to get away from Geno
Paige Being Overhyped and under pressure is killing her for the last two years...the W will eat this version alive.
Is this the woman that's supposed to be better than c.c.?
@DavidStewart-v5e is thst the sane excuse for the last few games? Heard she's been horrid
If you think Clark took a beating, what do you think they are going to do with Paige and her fragile body?
Paige's knees are so fragile she cannot risk contact. Otherwise, she's a wonderful player....just has been injured too many times. Still, UCONN would have won with Chen locking JuJu down until the Referees got involved and gave JuJu the call. An interesting game was ruined by Marketing (which controls the Call).
I think you're right about her fear for her knees. There was a moment in the game where she looked as if she just wanted to stay back. I was wondering if maybe she was ill. The knees are a good explanation.
I watched the UCon vrs USC game, I thought Paige had a good game. She doesn’t bring the energy of Hanna she just glides and u don’t notice her as much. She will be a good asset to any team that drafts her. I give JuJu the edge only because of size. Good luck ladies.❤❤❤
I noticed in the second half that juju looked like she had cramps in her legs. What do you think?
Geno "I perpetually think it's 2008" Auriemma transforms another exciting player into another boring WNBA prospect. Then everyone wonders why nobody wanted to watch the WNBA.
Geno needs a deeper rotation
But but but she was CC before CC became CC😂😂.
I feel like I'm watching a different game than everyone else. I did not see Paige being "passive", but rather making good decisions. She hit her open shots and kicked out when trapped, rather than forcing a contested shot. If Strong hits that 3 (off a good Paige pass) or makes her free throws, no one is saying this. UCONN does not play a system designed around one player, so shaming Paige for not taking over a game seems disingenuous.
In the last 3 minutes, both teams had open looks and free throws. USC made their shots, UCONN didn't. Game over.
UConn biggest problem is that they cannot develop centers.
I was on the Adrianne Ross channel during the game and a few people in the chat said they thought Paige was dogging it to not get drafted number one. To avoid going to Dallas.. Thoughts?
That's just a rumor. Paige never said she's dodging the draft.
That's just a rumor. Paige never said she's dodging the draft.
you had me going until you mentioned Flau'Jae Johnson are talking just to have something to say
At first geno was saying paige paige was being too passive then saying she's to aggresive I mean what do u want her to do geno????
And these college girls think they are ready for the WNBA? They can’t Gino has ruined her.
By Watching Paige run, it appears that she’s trying to sprint and be quick and explosive but just lacks the physical ability. It’s not that Paige doesn’t want to, it’s just that she can’t.
Yes she is too passive but is the fault of the coach whose dogma of how to play the game lacks the fluidity of being able to adjust to the game you have before you get to the game you want
Gino is not aging well in his coaching style
Pat summit in her prime would have lit a fire up her bum
Great coaches can adjust and make changes according to the situation gino is having less ability doing this each year and not just with Paige
Uconn might should get a new coach
Sounds like coaching to me. If she's gun shy about taking a contested shot, it's probably because she gets scolded if she does.
They need to run their offense thru Sarah, its so obvious. But, they will never do that because of egos. If they run thru Sarah they will be unstoppable!
She has a VERY good all around game…she’s not strong enough. Also, the injuries would make me take pause as a GM. She has been eclipsed by CC and now JuJu. Still…a baller
Juju is 19 years old born JUly 15, 2005, 4 years younger than Paige Bueckers. Paige is also lder than Caitlin cLark born 1/22/02 and Paige 10/20/01. Caitlin has been in the WNBA for a whole year earlier than Paige even though she is younger and graduated in 4 years with a 3.64 cumulative Index. Paige has been in college 5 years and could go 6. So comparisons with everyone are really out of question. Is Paige ready for the WNBA. She is way too passive and does not take over a game the way Caitlin and Juju do. I think it's that simple. She is a great player but doesn't have the kill and win mentality so needed by a point guard in any leaguw. It's that simple.
Yeah they don't have that dog in them like Cc
She passed up two chances to tie at the end
That is true !
I didn't know who Geno Auriemma was until I heard his interview on the Dan Patrick show, wherein he talked a river of crap about Caitlin Clark. That made a lousy impression. And every time I've heard him since he's reinforced it. Clearly he's had great success as a coach, but I can't help thinking his success came about from his ability to remake players in his image.
There's only one CC22!
Paige solid player a little overrated but a quality player not a generational player Paige plays to many minutes
Malonga over MIles or Betts?
Paige will be better once she gets out from under her delusional coach.
We'll probably see a different Paige in the NCAA tournament , gotta get that Trophy
A lot of complaining about Paige and her aggression. Let's say that's true, so what. So, she doesn't lead a team in the W. She's averaging 21 points on 56% from 2 and 42% from 3. She can be one of the best 2nd options in the WNBA. The real problem is UCONN does not have enough talent and Paige has to be almost superhuman to win some of these games.
Finally she had 22 and strong had 24 I think Paige needs Azzi if should could stay healthy Azzi takes a lot the pressure off her
She cares too much about her effeciency, that's why she's afraid to shoot. All great players will amd can take-over games when they're needed, she doesn't do that. She may be good but she's not great because of that. Too passive.
Paige is a commercial draft pick--you would take her number 1 overall for the money decisions.
Skill wise, she's not a point guard (regardless of how much you try to claim she is, she's never been a successful point guard),
She will struggle in the WNBA because she's like 140 pounds in weight, and that's going to rank near the very bottom of the league--with those 5'8s and 5'7s that exist in the league. She's definitely not dominant in any form or facet at that weight class. Which includes offense/ defense since all opposing starters are literally too fast for Paige or too strong/ bulky for Paige.
She'll sell tickets, make a few shots much like Jacy Sheldon, but she's not going to be ALL-WNBA level at any point in her first 3 or 4 years in the league.
And no, there was no "freshman Paige" phenom--she was simply playing in the Big East on a COVID schedule with like 8 WNBA draftees on the roster that year. Unfortunately for her, she actually had often been the worst starter on the court each and every game, sans maybe 2 or 3 of them. Her usage was higher than normal--which is beyond me on the reason why--but she wasn't the "best" player on her team nor did she ultimately do something that showed it. You can review the previous stats, but Paige was at her peak last year when she had a 24 ppg run in the NCAA tournament. Those were some of the best games she's ever played. Even then those aren't that special in the grand scheme of UCONN's history or the entirety of the NCAA.
Big East is a weak conference. Paige has been in a weak conference her whole career. That's simply the reality--you are what you compete against.
Not passive just an average to good basketball player like many others.
Paige is not aggressive enough. I have never seen her "take over" a game. She is too unselfish. I think she needs to learn that she has the skills and ability to take over, but she tries to involve others tomuch when late in the game, and the score is close. Other teams know that and defend that way. Just my thoughts...