Kennedy Smith She can feel her body running. It was in late December, and it just returned from the absence of a month injury. She was still recovering her legs, and still tries to find her first season in USC. But there was no time for that, not with Paige Bokerz Connecticut speed speed, and test every inch of the Trojan horses defense.
However, I felt tired, no one could say that day. The novice played only four games at the University of Southern California until this stage, but until then it played a fundamental role in raising Trojan horses across the powerful structure, all in the case of restrictions on the minutes.
To Beth Burns, the architect of USC defense, was classic Kennedy.
“What she is doing, she works four times as much as some other people on Earth because of what we are asking her to do,” Burns said. “Take it and then some.”
After four months, as a match with Connecticut 2 in the eight eight, Smith must bear more than ever in the aftermath Jojo WatkinsAn injury at the end of the season. in USC’s Sweet 16 win On the state of Kansas, it was the stimulus of the Trojan horse in the attack, where she scored 11 points from the first 13 points, and the team was 19.
For anyone who might have been forgotten, remind the seeds to beat Oklahoma, which makes them one of the most dynamic scorers in university basketball. She played just seven minutes of the fourth quarter, but scored 19 points in this extension, as it was almost identical to the production of Sooners in the entire second half. It would have ended from 40, which is a high march, just one day after an announcement that it would announce the draft of Wnba, where it is expected to be the number 1 selection.
Connecticut Paege Bokerz controls the ball while pressing him by Oklahomon Payeton Verhoulist during the second half.
(Youth KWAK / Associated Press)
Lindsay GottliebUSC coach, certainly does not need to remind the bone of extravagance. After the Trojan horses in the elite of the elite, Connecticut carried 28 and recorded 10 counterators. When they met again in Stores in December, the seeds are still running 22 in the USC victory. And if it is less efficient.
“Paige has been an incredible player for years,” said Gutliplab. “She is doing it efficiently. It is her ability to register, her ability to pass and involve others to move without basketball, and I think what we see is different now … It is urgent, right? Not that she was not urgent before, but you see her on her face. Like, no more waiting.
When they met the first time this season, Watskins was the one who often chased the services. Without Watckens, this role is supposed to fall to Smith, the best Trojan horse defender.
Gottlieb confirmed on Sunday that it could not be just one person trying to slow the seeds. But the seeds are not about to take Smith and its defense as a release from it, even if you do not know the certainty of the amount of its defense of Smith.
“You might think she is not a student is the way she plays defense – only her mentality, perseverance, length, light movement, speed, and side movement,” said Bokerz. “She is doing a really good job to expect. She has great defensive instincts. It’s a great defensive player.”
Kennedy Smith from the University of Southern California, Yameen, Serena Soundl from the state of Kansas during the victory of Trojan horses in the Sweet 16 Championship from the NCAA championship on Saturday.
(Youth KWAK / Associated Press)
There is also the remaining crime of the strongest structures behind the kidnappers for anxiety as well. Sarah Strong was great at her meeting in December, where she led the road with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Goalkeeper Azzi Food played only eight minutes in that when she was on the way to her return from injury, but she confirmed this week that she was “completely different”, which means that the strong structures will have a complete health supplement from the scorers at their disposal.
Usc will not have the same luxury without Watckens. Even her second top scorer, Kiki Iriafen, often became ineffective against Kansas fixed state teams, leaving Smith and his novice colleague Affiri Huil to get pregnant in an aggressive way.
“My confidence did not shake,” IRiafen confirmed on Sunday after holding seven points in the Sweet 16 season. [missing] Huge piece. But I think for us, when there is a will, there is a way. “
No one embodied this season this season more than Smith. But her teammates can see this one day she arrived at the University of Southern California last summer.
“It was just stubborn,” said Iriafen.
“He is not stopping,” added Raya Marshall.
So it was not surprising in the last minutes on Saturday, when USC rose only three, to see beginners to steal it to close it. By this point, I played 35 minutes not softening. It was tired.
But at the most important turn in the USC season, Smith did not show any signs of slowdown. Burns, after knew her for a while now, did not expect anything less.
“When you can think about it quickly, move quickly and be very strong, you put everything together and that’s what you get,” said Burns.
