Columbia

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ncbears
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8:58p, 3/26/26
Wow. Columbia put up 13 more shots than Cal. That's partly due to the number of offensive rebounds.
And Cal only made 6 three point shots - only attempted 16 - Columbia just took away a good portion of Cal's offensive game plan.
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BearBint
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9:01p, 3/26/26
Am trying to cheer myself up with Palo Alto's loss. This helps, sort of.
"Don't get distracted, myself. Don't get distracted." Self-talk from a young relative
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annarborbear
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9:05p, 3/26/26
Columbia's coach has won 63% of her games leading the program. But as a Columbia grad, she probably really likes NYC and will probably stay there. She has even signed an ESPN Top 100 player for next year.
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annarborbear
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In reply to BearBint • 9:09p, 3/26/26
BearBint said:
Am trying to cheer myself up with Palo Alto's losshelps, sort of.

Tara took Stanford to the NCAA tournament 35 times in 38 years,, with one of those being the Covid year. I would not be shocked if Paye is let go over the off season.
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gwashburn14
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9:18p, 3/26/26
Columbia was very well coached and had two players who could get buckets, Cal doesn't really have a player who can just go one-on-one and get a bucket like that. When it counted, Weiss hit a 16-foot pull up in front of two defenders and Page hit a spinning, left-handed floater on Walker. Columbia contested everything Cal did offensively and relentlessly chased rebounds, the Lions just worked a little harder.

Charmin needs to recruit another shooter, another productive big to replace Walker and another player who can take defenders one-on-one and create. Twidale literally passed up a short jumper to dribble out and take a 3 in the second half. We need a midrange specialist.

Not sure about the quality of the coaching staff but they don't appear to be very impactful. Charmin definitely needs to add more highly regarded coaches who can help with development and adjustments.
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Finnish Oski
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9:30p, 3/26/26
Disappointing performance. Those last Bear possessions were sad. We have no half court offense. We had a shot clock violation coming out of halftime for crying out loud.. It was weird that their cheerleaders were there and not ours. Not a bad crowd and people were getting into when the Bears made their run. The good news is that the team doesn't have to go to Wichita. My final thought --- and I hate to say it -- one team out there tonight was well-coached and disciplined. Before I go a word on the refs: one really bad call, that's not bad for a night's work. Nice not to have to talk about them.
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gljone
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9:35p, 3/26/26
Quite frankly, I thought Cal set the tone in Q1 when they were not up the challenge of playing 1-1 defense. There were so many times where the Columbia play got to the spot they wanted with very little resistance. That pretty much meant Cal was having to play uphill the entire game.

With Cal's flawed offense, this was the difference (in my mind). You simply cannot choose when to play hard. When Cal did make their comeback, it was too late because of the way Columbia executes on offense...and the way Cal lacks execution on offense.

Columbia plays offense with confidence. Cal plays offense hoping.

I repeated this throughout the season: even with Cal's flaws on offense, when they do decisively break the paint 'on time' (meaning when they have the advantage, good things happen.

However, when they drive the paint against an already sagging defense...and no one makes themselves available on the perimeter, it turnover time. Or when they hold the ball hold the ball hold the ball lob it into the paint...UGH.

With such a flawed offense, Cal still had a credible season. If not for the sequence of injuries, maybe...but you can't rewind the clock.

So the search begins for two decent posts and more shooting...basically what every other team wants!

I will say that with the guards and wings on the roster (barring any defections), Cal should be able to have a decent smalls rotation next season and should be able to really pressure the other team's guards for the entire game. There would be no reason to pace yourself. But it's predicated on bringing in a couple of credible bigs.

Even though I thought they could beat Columbia if they played an entire 40 minutes, I still think Cal had a pretty good season, all things considered.



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annarborbear
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9:49p, 3/26/26
Barnes has talent and I hope that she is back next year. But two points and three rebounds in 26 minutes makes her almost invisible on the court. We will need a game plan approach that features her more.
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Strykur
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10:24p, 3/26/26
Coach needs fired
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stu
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In reply to Finnish Oski • 10:26p, 3/26/26
Finnish Oski said:
Disappointing performance. Those last Bear possessions were sad. We have no half court offense. We had a shot clock violation coming out of halftime for crying out loud.. It was weird that their cheerleaders were there and not ours. Not a bad crowd and people were getting into when the Bears made their run. The good news is that the team doesn't have to go to Wichita. My final thought --- and I hate to say it -- one team out there tonight was well-coached and disciplined. Before I go a word on the refs: one really bad call, that's not bad for a night's work. Nice not to have to talk about them.

Cal is on spring break this week, Columbia did that last week. Still I'd like to see at least a few Cal cheerleaders. One older guy in the front row did stand up and lead a rousing Go Bears cheer. A reasonably balanced Cal Band showed up but didn't play much. Dunno why but I suspect someone high prefers the recorded noise.

My issue with the refs has nothing to do with fairness. They didn't call many fouls on either team, which helped Columbia since they were stronger and more aggressive. Despite the easy shots we gave up from lack of help we shot better percentages. But the difference was in rebounds, Columbia got 13 more rebounds and took 13 more shots.

Edit - if we still had Michelle Onyiah we would have been fine on the boards.
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glutton
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In reply to stu • 11:44p, 3/26/26
stu said:
Finnish Oski said:
Disappointing performance. Those last Bear possessions were sad. We have no half court offense. We had a shot clock violation coming out of halftime for crying out loud.. It was weird that their cheerleaders were there and not ours. Not a bad crowd and people were getting into when the Bears made their run. The good news is that the team doesn't have to go to Wichita. My final thought --- and I hate to say it -- one team out there tonight was well-coached and disciplined. Before I go a word on the refs: one really bad call, that's not bad for a night's work. Nice not to have to talk about them.

Cal is on spring break this week, Columbia did that last week. Still I'd like to see at least a few Cal cheerleaders. One older guy in the front row did stand up and lead a rousing Go Bears cheer. A reasonably balanced Cal Band showed up but didn't play much. Dunno why but I suspect someone high prefers the recorded noise.

My issue with the refs has nothing to do with fairness. They didn't call many fouls on either team, which helped Columbia since they were stronger and more aggressive. Despite the easy shots we gave up from lack of help we shot better percentages. But the difference was in rebounds, Columbia got 13 more rebounds and took 13 more shots.

Since these post-season games were technically 'neutral site' games, I wonder if the band was limited in how much they were allowed to play. Also, tonight's band was a mix of students and alumni.
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HoopDreams
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12:28a, 3/27/26
we got to the basket MANY times but didn't score, especially in the first quarter

their two guards were the master of the midrange and had crazy overall games

their two front court players were not that big, but they were strong and skilled

They ran a very good offense, but we should have scored more against their defense

Sheppard could drive by her defender but couldn't finish

Lulu was chased off the line most of the game, and was met with double-teams when she drove

I kept saying Maul needed to force the action which she did in the 4th quarter, but she was exhausted at the end. She was our most effective offensive player.

Walker took some bad shots in the first half, but slowed down and took better shots in the second half ... she also had more impact defensively in the second half

Naya provided some post offense. I thought she should have played more (last two games too)

Puff was solid, but dribbles too much

Cal had a higher shooting, 3 point and FT percentage. Cal turnovers was -1, blocks +2, and fouls favorable 6, BUT Columbia had 16 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS

Sad for the season to end. I would have liked to see Cal win their last home game and get to the final four, even thought it was back in Kansas

They handed out Lulu trading cards with her 3 point records. I was going to try to get her autograph but a bunch of fans wanted to take pictures with her so didn't get a chance

Sad to see another season come to an end. Overall this team was better than I expected in a very tough ACC conference. Hope to see our players return next season.



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blungld
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7:19a, 3/27/26
One last vent of frustration. When the Bear's offense goes cold, it seemed that most often this is because they get in the mechanical mode. Players seem to pre-determine their moves rather than react to the defense. Some examples: Lulu Euro-stepped twice last night when the straight layup was open and her move actually stepped her into the defender; Sakima on a few occasions spun into a fadeaway where there was defensive help rather than taking the easy bank because she had defender on her hip; both Puff and Sheppard passed up open threes a few times in the second half and then either drove into traffic and turned it over or just dribbled and let defense re-set; and we all see when the Bears are dead set on lob into the post even when the player is double teamed and often really late in the shot clock. When the Bears press the action and flow they score, when they settle into a plodding half court offense they often play stiff and have turnovers. Feels like coaches should have been pressing the action throughout because they had the athlete advantage.
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WantARoseBowlB4IDie
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8:35a, 3/27/26
Spent 10 hours in airports flying to San Jose to surprise my mom for her birthday today. Fought the 880 traffic & got there for the last three quarters. Proud of the way they fought, but made way too many mistakes against a well-schooled and disciplined team.

Several thoughts. One, Walker was way too invisible with her size & skill advantage. To only have 11 was disappointing. Two, Puff is clearly operating at about 75% at best. Its a shame the injury slowed her down so much. Lulu needs to work on slashing to the hole when they overplay her. Maul should not be bringing the ball up court, she gets turned over too much. In general, the Bears need more active, quick players to turn the screws up when they need to press and be able to get out on the break more. I hope Charmin has the ability to retain the 6 returnees at the top of the list and bring in some game changers. Good season, Bears! Next season NCAA or bust!
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SFCALBear72
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9:24a, 3/27/26
Does Charmin need to think about adding an offensive-minded coach this off-season?

Or perhaps a coaching consultant who can work with the players?
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kc1121
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In reply to SFCALBear72 • 9:28a, 3/27/26
Whenever the camera pans toward the bench, I always wonder what each of those coaches do? Same with Madsen's staff
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SFCALBear72
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In reply to kc1121 • 9:37a, 3/27/26
kc1121 said:
Whenever the camera pans toward the bench, I always wonder what each of those coaches do? Same with Madsen's staff

Well, Coach Heidi Heintz prepares the scouting reports for upcoming opponents.
Travon Bryant is responsible for post-player development and defensive game planning.
Jenny Huth is the recruiting coordinator.
I presume that Eilza Pierre works with the guards.

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stu
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In reply to blungld • 10:38a, 3/27/26
blungld said:
... Feels like coaches should have been pressing the action throughout because they had the athlete advantage.

I didn't see any athletic advantage, the Columbia players seemed stronger and quicker. Too often their interior players were able to push us around and their guards were able to drive by us.

I think we had more 3-point shooters, a taller center, and a deeper bench. The problem was even though we didn't turn the ball over much we didn't get enough shots. Columbia was athletic enough to dominate us on the boards.

Edit - I do think Naya is strong enough and Mjracle quick enough to compete with just about anyone.
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stu
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In reply to HoopDreams • 10:47a, 3/27/26
Quote:
Lulu was chased off the line most of the game, and was met with double-teams when she drove

I thought Columbia did a great job double-teaming. They were able to stop our player with the ball then recover when we passed.

Quote:
Naya provided some post offense. I thought she should have played more (last two games too)

I thought Naya was our only player who could match the strength of Columbia's interior players.
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annarborbear
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10:52a, 3/27/26
Columbia also had one player with a remarkable mid range game. That gave them additional options that we don't have nor utilize on the offensive end.
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WantARoseBowlB4IDie
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In reply to annarborbear • 11:49a, 3/27/26
annarborbear said:
Columbia's coach has won 63% of her games leading the program. But as a Columbia grad, she probably really likes NYC and will probably stay there. She has even signed an ESPN Top 100 player for next year.


I was shocked Riley Weiss #24 stayed at Columbia since she is Jewish and Jewish students have been excoriated by protesters and in some cases attacked. If they can hold onto her they should be in the tournament. Heck, they should win the WBIT this year. Look at the bright side - we had a late lead. They beat cross-town rival St. John's by 50!

Maybe we can get their #5 to come to Berkeley; she's from Seattle.
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bearchamp
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12:05p, 3/27/26
A recurring comment here notes that the opposition was "well coached" and "disciplined". These comments plainly are in contrast to the Cal situation. Maybe we should try some of both. Coach Smith has had years to instill some discipline in Cal's game, and hasn't. She needs either to bring in a discipline oriented assistant, or just resign. Some of the errors against Columbia were embarassing: SHE should be embarassed. I wonder if she goes over the film with her players individually. I would think she could point out all kinds of problems for the individuals to work on. LIke MAYBE Lulu could bend her kness on defense so she can move laterally! Or, players need to know what they are going to do with the ball BEFORE they stop dribbling in the middle of the key. I could go on for a long time, but I will save this board from that experience.
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gljone
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12:14p, 3/27/26
My impression is a couple of players lacked the confidence to be assertive and physical. Both on offense and defense.

Also the basic defensive principle of seeing the ball on defense was missing on several occasions. This directly led to 3 or 4 baskets - that was the difference. You turn your head to follow the player you're covering...and you're cooked.

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Finnish Oski
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12:30p, 3/27/26
Quote:
she is Jewish and Jewish students have been excoriated by protesters and in some cases attacked

There have been documented incidents of antisemitism, harassment, and some violence involving Jewish students at Columbia during recent protests, but it is not accurate to portray this as constant or universally directed at Jewish students as a group. Even recent reporting notes that while tensions are real, complaints have declined from peak levels and campus life continues, with Jewish organizations still active
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blungld
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In reply to stu • 12:35p, 3/27/26
stu said:
blungld said:
... Feels like coaches should have been pressing the action throughout because they had the athlete advantage.

I didn't see any athletic advantage, the Columbia players seemed stronger and quicker. Too often their interior players were able to push us around and their guards were able to drive by us.

I think we had more 3-point shooters, a taller center, and a deeper bench. The problem was even though we didn't turn the ball over much we didn't get enough shots. Columbia was athletic enough to dominate us on the boards.

Edit - I do think Naya is strong enough and Mjracle quick enough to compete with just about anyone.

You're probably right.
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annarborbear
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12:50p, 3/27/26
One thing Charmin has not had in the past seven years is a knowledgeable boss who could level with her about her own strengths and weaknesses, and to point out changes that she needs to make instead of giving her contract extensions. . She has brought in two offensive lead assistants, Kelly Cole and Heidi Heintz, but nothing much changed on the offensive end, except when we had four three point shooters on the floor. It is not too late to both hire someone with a different offensive system and to fully delegate to, rather than restrain, that individual. I would still like to see Layshia give it a go. She would also be great for recruiting.
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bearchamp
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3:43p, 3/27/26
The failure to play Naya more is a huge mistake. Why can't coach see what everybody in the gym sees?
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stu
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In reply to bearchamp • 4:27p, 3/27/26
bearchamp said:
The failure to play Naya more is a huge mistake. Why can't coach see what everybody in the gym sees?

From what I've seen Naya can score a bunch against some opponents (I think Columbia was one of those) and rebounds as well as anyone on our team. Her ballhandling and passing aren't as good and she isn't a scoring threat outside of the paint. I'd like to see her paired with another big who has an outside shot, maybe that could happen next season with Zara.

I haven't paid enough attention to her defense to offer any comment. If she can defend away from the basket (like Gennifer Brandon) I think she should be playing more.
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polarbear
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7:01a, 3/28/26
Columbia should have been given an NCAA tournament berth ahead of several of the mediocre ACC, SEC, and Big-10 teams.
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ClayK
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7:16a, 3/28/26
There are three things Naya does not do well: Defend, pass and rebound (especially on the defensive end).

There is one things Naya does well: Score. And to do so, she shoots more times per minute on the floor than anyone else.

So what everyone in the gym sees is Naya scoring. What the coaches see is the player she's guarding scoring more than her average, Naya shooting every time she touches it, Naya having 11 assists in 401 minutes (to 33 turnovers), and Naya getting fewer defensive rebounds per minute than Gisella Maul.

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stu
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In reply to ClayK • 9:05a, 3/28/26
I hear you but Gisella Maul is an excellent rebounder.
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annarborbear
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In reply to ClayK • 9:23a, 3/28/26
ClayK said:
There are three things Naya does not do well: Defend, pass and rebound (especially on the defensive end).

There is one things Naya does well: Score. And to do so, she shoots more times per minute on the floor than anyone else.

So what everyone in the gym sees is Naya scoring. What the coaches see is the player she's guarding scoring more than her average, Naya shooting every time she touches it, Naya having 11 assists in 401 minutes (to 33 turnovers), and Naya getting fewer defensive rebounds per minute than Gisella Maul.


Just to add to the discussion, here are the per minute stat comparisons of Walker and Ojukwu:

Points Per Minute
Walker 0.46
Ojukwu 0.61

Rebounds Per Minute
Walker 0.26
Ojukwu 0.27

Assists Per Minute
Walker 0.05
Ojukwu 0.03

TO's Per Minute
Walker 0.95
Ojukwu 0.84

That looks pretty good for a player that had to play out of position at the 5 all season.

And Walker also had fewer defensive rebounds per minute than Maul. But that is not a negative. It is a positive for Maul.

Naya also shot 50% from the floor. So that is someone who should be taking those shots. When Claudia was in instead, she shot 29.6%.

I would say our biggest problem is not having anyone with a mid-range game. Posts have very difficult situations on the offensive end when they have to do everything themselves inside of the perimeter, and with telegraphed passes inside being the norm. Both Barnes and Lulu should be encouraged to take mid-range shots next season.
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stu
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In reply to annarborbear • 2:25p, 3/28/26
Quote:
I would say our biggest problem is not having anyone with a mid-range game. Posts have very difficult situations on the offensive end when they have to do everything themselves inside of the perimeter, and with telegraphed passes inside being the norm. Both Barnes and Lulu should be encouraged to take mid-range shots next season.

It would also help if Naya could develop a mid-range shot. She shoots around 70% on free throws so it's not hopeless.
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OBear073akaSMFan
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In reply to stu • 2:41p, 3/28/26
stu said:

It would also help if Naya could develop a mid-range shot. She shoots around 70% on free throws so it's not hopeless.


Our guards should all develope a midrange shot especially LuLu. It frustrate me when she penatrate into the key and instead of shooting she passes the ball out. The coaches need to teach her.
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annarborbear
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In reply to stu • 2:46p, 3/28/26
stu said:
Quote:
I would say our biggest problem is not having anyone with a mid-range game. Posts have very difficult situations on the offensive end when they have to do everything themselves inside of the perimeter, and with telegraphed passes inside being the norm. Both Barnes and Lulu should be encouraged to take mid-range shots next season.

It would also help if Naya could develop a mid-range shot. She shoots around 70% on free throws so it's not hopeless.

A guard who can handle the ball is more likely to get open for those midrange shots. But Naya could do a better job of passing it back outside as an addition to her game and of cutting to the basket to receive a pass. However, given the limited minutes she was given in the last four games, I don't see how she chooses to stay. It must have been really frustrating to put up 25 points in the first Syracuse game and then barely see the floor in the second.

Barnes is an ideal four. But she needs to be given a more assertive role next year to take advantage of those skills.
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