[TheFarm07]

Just home from the game.  Yes, I had the same thoughts about Harriel and Van Gytenbeek.  Van Gytenbeek did not seem to be in the house.

Iriafan is still a little green and missed a couple she could have made, but she does seem to have better moves under the basket than Belibi or Prechtel.   A lot of "bigs" that have passed through never had that fluidity around the basket that Brink and probably Iriafan have.  Highly promising for the future.

I think the most fascinating aspect of the game was watching how Tara defended Anaya James.  Lacie was on James early in the game, then Lexie took over.  I think Lexie did a better job defending James.  Late in the game Emma-Nnopu came in to defend James.  Wilson was considered our top perimeter defender--something of a defensive specialist, but that assignment did not go to her this game.

It seemed to me after an excellent year by Wilson, who claimed the Co-Defensive Player of the Year award in the conference and made some clutch shots during our postseason run, that she's taken a step back, for whatever reason this season so far. I had thought heading into this year, with Williams' departure, and the uncertainty in the guard positions, she would be our steady hand in the backcourt, continuing to provide the defense we came to expect from her, while contributing to the offense.

Instead she seemed to have lost her starting job and isn't in there for top defensive assignments either, which one would think would go to her after the season she had last year.

Iriafen, in my opinion and with a very small sample size, is already demonstrating very good instincts around the basket, which is an early encouraging sign.

[TheFarm07]

Just home from the game.  Yes, I had the same thoughts about Harriel and Van Gytenbeek.  Van Gytenbeek did not seem to be in the house.

Iriafan is still a little green and missed a couple she could have made, but she does seem to have better moves under the basket than Belibi or Prechtel.   A lot of "bigs" that have passed through never had that fluidity around the basket that Brink and probably Iriafan have.  Highly promising for the future.

I think the most fascinating aspect of the game was watching how Tara defended Anaya James.  Lacie was on James early in the game, then Lexie took over.  I think Lexie did a better job defending James.  Late in the game Emma-Nnopu came in to defend James.  Wilson was considered our top perimeter defender--something of a defensive specialist, but that assignment did not go to her this game.

It seemed to me after an excellent year by Wilson, who claimed the Co-Defensive Player of the Year award in the conference and made some clutch shots during our postseason run, that she's taken a step back, for whatever reason this season so far. I had thought heading into this year, with Williams' departure, and the uncertainty in the guard positions, she would be our steady hand in the backcourt, continuing to provide the defense we came to expect from her, while contributing to the offense.

Instead she seemed to have lost her starting job and isn't in there for top defensive assignments either, which one would think would go to her after the season she had last year.

Iriafen, in my opinion and with a very small sample size, is already demonstrating very good instincts around the basket, which is an early encouraging sign.