First, they discussed NC State’s performance so far this year:
“They’re a little confusing,” Shafer said. “They still haven’t had a single game from Boston transfer and projected starting big, Patriot League Player of the Year [Caitlin Weimar] … she hasn’t played yet. So their their big situation is a little bit not ideal, which makes things harder for the guards. They had an interesting couple games, [like] that LSU game, getting good looks [but] they’re not always falling, which kind of sums up how I feel about NC State so far this year.”
Order ‘Rare Gems’ and save 30%
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.
Cruse added: “It’s been a rough start of the season for Saniya Rivers. She had a good game against LSU, scored like 20 points, a ton of tough mid range jumpers. We’ve talked about Saniya’s scout … on the show, and … the defense is elite, like she’s gonna make plays defensively. On the offensive end, it’s been a mixed bag. The half court finishing still hasn’t looked better. The touch on the jumpers, she wants to take a bunch of mid-range jumpers; the three-point shot, she had a couple of them in the LSU game, but it doesn’t look great.”
Shafer followed up on Rivers’ defensive capabilities: “My perspective on Saniya [is] it feels like the same that it’s been. It looks incredible, absolutely incredible, when 40%, even, of those mid range pull-ups are going in. The defense is electric. The ground coverage is really awesome. … it kind of is the same scout that it’s been for a year and a half now: superb athlete, occasionally dynamic with the ball in her hands, one of the best defensive play makers we’ve ever seen at basically four defensive positions, but the shot is just not there.”
Then they discussed USC’s Kiki Iriafen, another one of the top WNBA prospects, who transferred from Stanford to USC this season. Shafer started by talking about her adjustment to a new system with the Trojans: “One of the issues for Iriafen is coming from Stanford and Tara VanDerveer’s system, [it’s] extremely structured, the Princeton [offense] there, everything’s working within this very tight system and [it’s] not really working the same way that USC is working, which is super free flowing. It’s kind of ‘let [JuJu Watkins] go do what she does, get right into the high post and try to work Kiki on the block.’ And it’s taking a bit for her to adjust to that.”
Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?
Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.
Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.
“I think USC could benefit from adding a little more structure, even if playing more free flowing could work, especially for JuJu more, but to lead [Talia von Oelhoffen] and Kiki Iriafen, coming from super rigid, structured systems, into this super free flowing offense where they’re a little less experienced, it’s just taking some time to get used to,” Shafer continued.
Cruse discussed more of the specifics of how USC could bring Iriafen further into the fold: “Stylistically, the way they’ve been playing [Iriafen], as far as, like, in the low post in that game against Notre Dame, she’s so much better at the high post the elbow, having space, rather than posting up trying to score in that way. I want to see more ball screens as well. I feel like most of their offense has been isolation, let’s let Kiki just space it out and let JuJu drive and try to make something happen. I feel like [they’re] not maximizing what [their] players could do … with that kind of system.”
Make sure you’re following Cruse and Shafer for more on WNBA prospects this season. Also be sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast for more coverage of women’s college basketball, WNBA prospects, the WNBA and so much more.
