In Reply to: I saw it a bit differently... posted by BruinMIM on February 14, 2025 at 11:40:05
Gabby and Janiah got burned by Watkins. Neither was agile enough. Dudley did a very good job. Yes, she fouled Watkins on a three. I imagine she'll learn from that. But, between those three, Dudley has the agility and length to give Watkins trouble. Problem is Dudley hasn't been integrated into the offense. I frankly don't have any idea what her offensive game is. That's a problem. Hopefully over the next month, Dudley gets more of a chance to find her game. She has been getting more minutes, largely at the expense of Gardiner.
I love the idea of having a taller player make the entry pass. I didn't pay a lot of attention to who was making that pass last night, but sc was doubling Betts off her, whoever it was. When Betts passed back out, the doubler was able to get back and and keep the entry passer from getting a clean look. Maybe with Dugs or Gardiner, they could still shoot over that doubler who is trying to get back. Or, when Betts passes back out, have her clear the space, so that a guard could attack the basket. We had wayyyy to many plays where we drove the basket while Betts and 3 trogans were camped out there.
One other thing, Watkins is a great defender, but one thing she doesn't really have is a good first step against a quick ball handler. Jones could have gotten an open middie against Watkins on every single play. I think Jones v. Watkins is a very good match up for us. Jones has shown she can harass Watkins enough to trouble her. Maybe trouble her a lot. And, Watkins can't keep Jones from getting wide open 2's. At. All. Yes, Jones is known for her 3's. But, we win plenty of gemes where she's not hitting her 3's. And, really she's not that reliable from 3. She has about 1 out of every 4 games where she's draining them. So, geez, if she can convert midrange shots, that's a huge addition under any circumstance. And, if it's burning Watkins, that's even better.
Like I said, I agree on everything else.