Can Dawn sign Sarah Strong ( Nations Number One player )?

[Forever Fowl]

She and her family were at the game yesterday while the crowd chanted, "we want Sarah". She has the SC connection with parents from Chester and Great Falls. Her mother played with Dawn for the Charlotte Sting. One of her best friends is Joyce Edwards. If we were fortunate enough to sign her our women's team would be set for several years to come. She is one amazing talent.

 

[DeeDave]

Would be nice to get an "insider's report" from all the Gamecock recruiting folks about her. I mean, she is the top player in the country.


Well, with those connections, we couldn't ask for a better chance.


If she didn't pick us, it would be hard to figure out what she's looking for after a crowd and event like yesterday.

 

[hahnenkampf]

She said she’s looking for a school based on academic quality. Her mother is a Harvard grad and is said to be influencing the young lady to choose a school for academic reputation— not so much for basketball reputation. That’s what I gather from watching all of her interviews and the recruiting reports.

 

[gamecockengineer2011]

Between UConn, Carolina, and LSU... UConn would be the highest ranked school according to the US News and World rankings at #58. Carolina is about #124 and LSU is like #185.

It does seem like Dawn was expecting to tweet a Welcome Home after the game but didn't quite get a commitment.

 

[DeeDave]

Anyone know what she wants to study?

Edwards wanted to do environmental engineering I thought. We don't have that major but Dawn got some things moved around for her to take some courses that would at least give her exposure to environmental science. That coupled with civil engineering or something like it would be good.

Either way, Edwards was ok with it.

 

[gamecockengineer2011]

USC's college of engineering offers a minor in Environmental Engineering.

 

[Forever Fowl]

The USC Honors College has been rated tops in the nation for public universities.

 

[Ward Jr]

Seems to be totally up in the air but I would guess no. If you're a generational-type player as they believe she might become, you typically don't dive into an outfit that's already on top and already bringing in Edwards at Forward. You want to be something beyond a cog in the big machine.

 

[Forever Fowl]

Joyce Edwards is one of Sarah's best friends and has been doing her own recruiting. I think we could lose up to 4 players so there are options as far as position openings and Sarah can play multiple positions. A top rated program is usually a recruiting advantage for top rated players.

 

[Ward Jr]

Joyce Edwards is one of Sarah's best friends and has been doing her own recruiting. I think we could lose up to 4 players so there are options as far as position openings and Sarah can play multiple positions. A top rated program is usually a recruiting advantage for top rated players

Ah, that could make a difference. Though, I'm still sticking with UCONN, NC State or LSU. Guessing she would prefer to be part of knocking off the champs and reclaiming former glory (UCONN) or something along those lines. Also, very surprised Stanford isn't in the mix if she's interested top education as well.

 

[Thirdcatgy]

For the guys who watch WBB....How do you get into it? My wife has been following the team and always is asking me to watch but I just can't seem to? It feels like watching a video at half speed.

 

[Ward Jr]

For the guys who watch WBB....How do you get into it? My wife has been following the team and always is asking me to watch but I just can't seem to? It feels like watching a video at half speed.

I have the same issue but sometimes tune into the big regular season games and the tournament mainly because we are so good. I played throughout HS and am very aware that any decent high school men's team could likely blow the doors off any All-Star WNBA team. However, there's still that school pride and competition aspect in some regard. To answer your question -- there's no secret sauce beyond repetition.

 

[WDMULTIMAN]

Seems to be totally up in the air but I would guess no. If you're a generational-type player as they believe she might become, you typically don't dive into an outfit that's already on top and already bringing in Edwards at Forward. You want to be something beyond a cog in the big machine.

I haven't ever seen a team with such good chemistry, and Dawn is such a sweet, maternal type of a coach. (in the body of a legend as a player & coach) The team has super morale. This team wasn't predicted to be anywhere near as good as it is. Coach A, at U. Conn, seemed stressed, while Coach Staley acted so at ease. Strong and Edwards will, both, be Gamecocks next year and a big ole 6'5' 240lbs girl from Texas (top ten national, #2 Center, and committed). L.S.U. gets the best players (by far) from H.S. and the Portal. They turned out to be a major disappointment. Mulkey is a Drama Queen and Angel Reese is real snot. Her face froze in an "eat sh.." expression, when she played against Kaitlyn Clark. It remains that way, today.

 

[WDMULTIMAN]

Seems to be totally up in the air but I would guess no. If you're a generational-type player as they believe she might become, you typically don't dive into an outfit that's already on top and already bringing in Edwards at Forward. You want to be something beyond a cog in the big machine.

Sarah Strong will not be a cog in a big machine. She is called "the Magic Johnson of girl's high school basketball". She charms the crowd even more than Fullwiley, and she is 6'3". Edwards is 6' 2 1/2". Strong is chunky, but great.

 

[hahnenkampf]

For the guys who watch WBB....How do you get into it? My wife has been following the team and always is asking me to watch but I just can't seem to? It feels like watching a video at half speed.

I learned to appreciate women’s sports watching my daughters play on teams as they were growing up.

 

[cockn'fyr]

For the guys who watch WBB....How do you get into it? My wife has been following the team and always is asking me to watch but I just can't seem to? It feels like watching a video at half speed.

First, you must understand it's a different game and enjoy it for what it is. We are the #1 team in the nation by far, so I will watch! Just as the NBA is a different game, I enjoy watching our women play much more than the NBA, just a preference!

 

[Forever Fowl]

I have a degree from USC and perhaps that is different from many fans. Having had the total on campus USC living experience the support of my alma mater does not vary regardless of sport. I'll pull for them if it's team checkers. To me if you're not on board with the nation's number one women's basketball team you're missing out on a golden age of athletics that no other USC sports team has come close to replicating.

 

[DeeDave]

I learned to appreciate women’s sports watching my daughters play on teams as they were growing up.

I have a teen daughter as well- she's not a big sports fan but she does enjoy watching the women's games with me when she's sitting around the living room.

I learned to do it by playing tennis against a girl in college at USC. Her name was Christy. She was a really good tennis player on her high school team. When I found that out, we ended up playng against each other on the courts outside the PE center 7 or 8 times. I never beat her. In fact, she beat me pretty easily. I think she was bored playing against me.

I didn't play in high school but I had played several good male high school tennis players in high school and in college and split those matches pretty much 50/50.

Christy was a really solid, fundamental player and played a mostly defensive game forcing anyone she played to make mistakes. I learned a lot by playing her but the main thing I learned was not to assume much because I never beat her and that really frustrated me at the time because I practiced tennis almost every day. I was much faster than her. I was much stronger, I could hit from the baseline quite well, and developed some nice passing shots. I also had a nice inside/out forehand that I practiced a lot by watching Jim Courier hit the inside/out forehand that he made famous.

But her game tactics were better than mine.

 

[DeeDave]

I have a degree from USC and perhaps that is different from many fans. Having had the total on campus USC living experience the support of my alma mater does not vary regardless of sport. I'll pull for them if it's team checkers. To me if you're not on board with the nation's number one women's basketball team you're missing out on a golden age of athletics that no other USC sports team has come close to replicating.

That's me as well.

I've been to softball games, women's basketball games, even a tennis matches.

But it's my alma mater so I have never had any issue getting into and supporting the teams as a fan.

I enjoy watching the women's basketball games. They play solid basketball and I actually find that I can pick up on the strategy better in the women's game than I can the men's game.

 

[Ward Jr]

I haven't ever seen a team with such good chemistry, and Dawn is such a sweet, maternal type of a coach. (in the body of a legend as a player & coach) The team has super morale. This team wasn't predicted to be anywhere near as good as it is. Coach A, at U. Conn, seemed stressed, while Coach Staley acted so at ease. Strong and Edwards will, both, be Gamecocks next year and a big ole 6'5' 240lbs girl from Texas (top ten national, #2 Center, and committed). L.S.U. gets the best players (by far) from H.S. and the Portal. They turned out to be a major disappointment. Mulkey is a Drama Queen and Angel Reese is real snot. Her face froze in an "eat sh.." expression, when she played against Kaitlyn Clark. It remains that way, today.

Totally agree. My point is that landing Strong right now for us would be a luxury versus a necessity. Wouldn't you believe a generational-type player would be more interested in creating greatness than sustaining it? We'll see though. If it turns out to be a good fit for her, that's the most important part.

 

[Ward Jr]

I have a teen daughter as well- she's not a big sports fan but she does enjoy watching the women's games with me when she's sitting around the living room.

I learned to do it by playing tennis against a girl in college at USC. Her name was Christy. She was a really good tennis player on her high school team. When I found that out, we ended up playng against each other on the courts outside the PE center 7 or 8 times. I never beat her. In fact, she beat me pretty easily. I think she was bored playing against me.

I didn't play in high school but I had played several good male high school tennis players in high school and in college and split those matches pretty much 50/50.

Christy was a really solid, fundamental player and played a mostly defensive game forcing anyone she played to make mistakes. I learned a lot by playing her but the main thing I learned was not to assume much because I never beat her and that really frustrated me at the time because I practiced tennis almost every day. I was much faster than her. I was much stronger, I could hit from the baseline quite well, and developed some nice passing shots. I also had a nice inside/out forehand that I practiced a lot by watching Jim Courier hit the inside/out forehand that he made famous.

But her game tactics were better than mine.

I played tennis as well and had the good fortune of watching the Williams sisters play in their prime a few times. IMO, they were the closest to any male athlete within any given sport.

With that said, a male player outside of the Top 200 played golf, smoked, drank beer on the same day he wiped for floor with both of them. We can't kid ourselves that these games aren't completely different in terms of skill set.

 

[turncock]

I played tennis as well and had the good fortune of watching the Williams sisters play in their prime a few times. IMO, they were the closest to any male athlete within any given sport.

With that said, a male player outside of the Top 200 played golf, smoked, drank beer on the same day he wiped for floor with both of them. We can't kid ourselves that these games aren't completely different in terms of skill set.

Power, foot speed, and endurance. Riggs throwing that match to settle gambling bets had people disillusioned.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

I've always been more of a football fan than a basketball fan. Men's or women's.

 

[Forever Fowl]

I expect this to be Cardosa's last year and probably Paopao as well. Jah and Feagin will probably transfer. Walker is a senior but could come back or transfer. Next season our juniors will be Raven and Watkins. Hall will be a senior. Kitts will be a sophomore/ junior. Tess Johnson and Fulwiley will be sophomores. In Dawn's system the incoming recruits will see limited action as freshmen but Strong and Edwards could be exceptions. Based upon turnover Strong would be more of a need IMO than a luxury. It's important to remember that having a deep bench is the main reason we are number one and undefeated.